All humanity is one, by Unilorin VC

T

he Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, has stated that human beings cannot escape disasters and as such, it is natural for man to face challenges but the strength of humanity “lies in how much we can rally round fellow human beings in times like this”.

Prof. Oloyede noted that it was the first occasion in which he would ever serve as a Chief Launcher and added it was his pleasure to serve in that capacity. As the occasion wound up, the University of Ilorin realised the sum of thirty three thousand, three hundred and thirty three dollars and thirty three cents ($33,333.33) or about five million naira

The Vice-Chancellor made a personal donation of N 100,000. While the religious bodies in the University made a total donation of N310,000 (Unilorin Muslim Community donated N250,000.00; St.Thomas Aquinas Centre, N30,000.00 and the Chapel of Light, also N30,000.00), the Unilorin Chapters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) donated N50,000 and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) as well as Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) contributed N30,000.00 each.

Some of the other donors at the occasion included the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Kolade L. Ayorinde, who donated $250.00; the Bursar, Mr. Ayo Sijuwola, who contributed N50,000.00 and the University of Ilorin Branch of the American Studies Association of Nigeria(ASAN), which was credited for conceiving the Haiti Aid Initiative, that donated N40,000. Another donor of a minimum of N25,000 at the occasion was Mrs. S.A.Oroge of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.

Speaking earlier at the occasion, the Chairman of the Organising Committee and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), Prof. Albert B. Olayemi, who also donated N25,000, noted that in Africa and in the developing world at large, leadership is everything and the system in this part of the world depends on good leadership. He added that it was this fact that inspired the organising committee to use the giant frame of the Vice-Chancellor as a motivating factor for the University community to donate generously.

He revealed that but for three people, who claimed to have made their donations through other platforms, in the whole University community, the committee succeeded in enlisting the support of all staff through the religious bodies and the unions. He noted that in order to change the plight of the oppressed, the heart of the strong must be changed, and in the circumstances of natural disasters such as the one witnessed in Haiti, except for hearts that is made of stone or iron, all hearts would be changed.

Prof. Olayemi also placed on record that Haiti is the first independent country in the Americas after a successful slave rebellion in 1804 and the country is isolated as the only francophone country in South America.

The Registrar of the University, Mrs. Olufolake Oyeyemi, while casting the vote of thanks noted that unions are renowned for agitating for pay rise and resisting deductions from their money but they deserve to be appreciated when they are cheerful givers given that God is pleased with those who give cheerfully.

Highlights of the occasion included the presentation of a colourful greeting card by the University of Ilorin Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) which was signed by those who were present at the occasion. The Vice- Chancellor assured the gathering that the card would be forwarded along with the financial donations to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the subsequent 24 hours for further action.