TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN...
Text
of the Address delivered by
the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Professor Is-haq O. Oloyede, at the Inauguration of
the 2009/2010 University of Ilorin Student
Union Executives and Representatives on
Friday,
June 26, 2009 at the former Senate Chamber, University of Ilorin, Ilorin.
TO WHOM MUCH IS
GIVEN...
When the first person to set foot on the moon, the
American austronaut Neil Armstrong did on July 20 1969, he felt justifiably
excited. A simple statement he uttered subsequently, which has become one of
the most memorable quotes the world over, regarding his first step there, is: “That’s
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” As I welcome you all to
this occasion, the words of Armstrong came to mind because today’s occasion is
a small step in your individual lives as students and leaders of today and
tomorrow but it is another giant leap for the University of Ilorin. I feel
happy to tentatively congratulate you
as elected leaders of our teaming
student population and I am also excited to be part of this occasion.
My dear students, as I told your predecessors on May 13
last year when they were being sworn in, an occasion like this excites me
because it is an actualization of a crucial
component of the policy thrust of this administration. This policy
thrust, the restoration of
students’ integrity, consists of our belief that students must be given an opportunity of test-running and
demonstrating the roles they are expected to perform in future, one of which is
leadership, the process of moving people in a planned direction by
motivating them to willingly take necessary actions. That you have been deemed worthy by your fellow
students of discharging leadership responsibilities is significant and living
up to their legitimate expectations and those of ours from you is crucial. As
it is said, to whom much is given, much
is expected.
This administration shortly after coming on board inaugurated
students’ Transitional and Electoral Commission on January 4, 2008 during which
we unfolded our agenda of the “Restoration of Students’ Integrity: A New Deal for Undergraduates.” The
Commission set to work, organised elections on April 10, 2008 and the elected
leaders, both executive and representive councils, were formally inaugurated on
May 13 2008, during which I urged them to “Let Your Tomorrow Start Today: dress
as you would like to be addressed.” Your immediate predecessors generally gave a good account of themselves. In
other words, they comported
themselves fairly well and demonstrated good leadership skills crowned with the peaceful conduct of your own elections based on the existing framework of the University motto, probitas doctrina (character and learning) just last month, precisely on May 22, 2009.
Distinguished leaders of today and tomorrow, between the commencement of this
administration and now, we have tried and laboured hard to fulfil our promise
to you as students. My team worked tirelessly day and night, and we
still do, to ensure that you have the best training available in the best
environment. Basic infrastructure like water and electricity have become easily
available. Human waste disposal facilities
are abundantly available on campus with more than fifty additional ones
provided within the period. To compress the session last year and make our students meet
the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme and avoid making them wait for
months, the University paid over 50 million naira to staff who worked beyond the range
of their normal schedule of duty. We have upgraded the hostel
facilities such that there is no hostel in the country that is better than
yours, and if you think this
is just a claim, let us know the one that is better. During your examinations, the Univerity
provided a 24-hour library service at a cost of over 12 million
naira to make studying easy for you. We have tarred roads and further greened your campus with landscaping such that the campus appears more beautiful
than before.
Besides, at the Mini-Campus library, we
have provided an industrial inverter at the cost of over six million naira so that power would be guaranteed even when public power supply is not available. This is in addition to a
brand new generating set that we have installed to provide back-up power supply to the Mini-Campus. To motivate
you, we have re-introduced the University Scholars Scheme through which the
best among you across disciplines enjoy University
sponsorship and the accompanying prestige and social status. We have effectively, perhaps
compulsively, put you on
the information super-highway through your online registration, Computer-Based Testing (CBT) and other technology-enabled facilities such that you can compete
adequately with your colleagues in other world universities. We have enhanced
your marketability with the introduction of the compulsory Digital Literacy
Curriculum (DLC) examinations and certification in conjunction with Microsoft
company. We have attracted scholars here
from all over the world to share knowledge with you just as we have brought
other students from within and outside
All these we have done because our goal is to make you
the best graduates of the Nigerian university system. Thus, our
expectations from you are great and our hopes in you are high. To whom much is given, much is expected, I repeat. What others take for granted or overlook, we do not because we cannot afford to derail. We condone no
indiscipline and we tolerate no nonsense. When others are on strike, here we keep working, just
because of you. Right now as I speak, as
many of you know, almost all lecturers in other public universities in Nigeria are on strike, but your own lecturers are working, marking your scripts, computing your results and doing everything
needful to make you proceed
on your NYSC. We do not go on strike here because we want to assist in the
creation of a viable middle class through you and we cannot punish you for no
offence of yours. Our staff work assiduously, a vast majority without any
overtime allowance. Some of us do not go home on some days till day break
because we believe in you and we believe in the Nigerian university system. We
believe that by contributing our own quota and by doing our
best in what we do, we are making your future brighter and our country better.
Therefore, my dear students, the expected leadership from
you is not that of ‘aluta’. The era of ‘aluta’, with its associated violence and lawlessness, is gone with the military rule
of the past decades. Civil rule is in season and you are expected to be civil
and civilized in everything you do. Our expectation is that you keep the
administration on its toes through constructive engagement and intellectual dialogue. You are the leaders; don’t allow undesirable elements anywhere
to mislead you. Sometimes what is popular is not right. I know some people will be nudging you to do ‘aluta’. As John F. Kennedy once remarked, “We don’t want
to be like the leader of the French Revolution who said: ‘There go my people. I
must find out where they are going so that I may lead them’ ”. You are the
leaders, listen to your followers but don’t allow
them to (mis)lead you. Let me emphasise that you are accountable for your actions. Therefore, do not be ‘follow-follow’ leaders: think right, speak right, act right, be
upright and everything with you will be alright. Be focused and resolute in all
that will promote and advance the good image of your University and the betterment of humanity. We neither want you to praise-sing us nor do we
want you to pull us down. The interest of the university system and your future
is paramount to us.
At this
juncture, let me share with with you top ten tips of good leaders:
Ø
People are insecure; give them
confidence
Ø
People like to feel special; let
them know they matter
Ø
People look for a better
tomorrow; give them hope
Ø
People need to be understood;
listen to them
Ø
People like direction; show them
Ø
People are needy; speak to their
needs first
Ø
People get emotionally low;
motivate them
Ø
People want to succeed; help
them to win
Ø
People desire relationship;
encourage them
Ø
People seek models to follow; be
an example.
I urge you to note the last point about being good
examples. You should be models academically, socially, morally and so on.
Lastly, I started by congratulating you newly elected
leaders tentatively. I deliberately said
so because those who really deserve unmodified congratulations are the outgoing
members of the Student Union executives and representatives. They are the ones
that have succeeded by successfully handing over to you. There is no success
without a successor and there is no point congratulating a surgeon entering a theatre
to perform an operation. While I congratulate the outgoing Animashaun-led administration
fully or definitely, I only congratulate those of you that are
being inaugurated today tentatively. It is my fervent hope that you will
deserve my full congratulations next year by the time you also hand over to your successors after recording your own
successes, insha Allah.
Thank you for your attention. I wish you all a pleasant
beginning and a happy ending.