Describes FUTA as a Great Institution of Learning. On Friday 1st December, 2023 the Former President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, and a long standing friend to the family of the Late Deji of Akure, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida, Afunbiowo II joined the family to appreciate God at the 10th year memorial celebration interdenominational thanksgiving service and the commissioning of the Oba Adebiyi Adesida Afunbiowo II Hall, Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) ,FUTA. Speaking at the event, the Olori of the Adesida Dynasty, Dr. Monisola Adesida said the essence of the gathering was to commemorate the 10th year of the passage of the late monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adebiyi Adegboye Adesida, Afunbiowo II, the Late Deji and Paramount Ruler of Akure Kingdom, who reigned between September 1, 2010 and December 1, 2013. She said the demise of the late monarch was a painful exit, but throughout the ten years, people still hold him dearly in their heart. She added that the family decided to put in place something physical to immortalize his name and that informed the building of the Oba Adebiyi Adesida Afunbiowo II Hall under the Public Private Partnership operation in FUTA. She commended the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji for graciously agreeing to the request of the family and approving the site of the hostel. She said when the VC was approached for the project, she simply answered in Yoruba “Oba lo n’ile” meaning “the king owns the land, this must happen.” She appreciated all friends of the family for their presence to honour the late kabiyesi and prayed that all present will live long and live to do more good than God enabled her late husband did. Professor Oladiji in her address commended the family of the late Monarch for considering FUTA a beneficiary of such project. She said “one of the greatest challenges in higher education in Nigeria today is shortage of befitting hostel accommodation for students. Apart from the inconveniences and cost of shuttling between far-flung private accommodation and lecture rooms, students are also robbed of the peculiar campus experiences as a result of inadequate hostel accommodation. Worse still, many anti-social tendencies are learnt or embraced by students in off-campus accommodation. I am therefore very glad that another step has been taken in ameliorating the problem of students’ hostel accommodation.” She, on behalf of the University Management thanked the Adesida Afunbiowo family for keeping faith with the ideals of the revered Late Monarch, Oba Adebiyi Adesida, Afunbiowo II. She said it would be hard to quantify the benefit of the structure in the lives of the students who will make use of it. She added that the University Management earnestly look forward to more areas of mutual relationship between FUTA and Adesida Afunbiowo Royal Family to the glory of God. Commending the timely delivery of the hostel with the foundation laid on Thursday 20th April, 2023, and the input of the University’s Directorate of Physical Planning under the leadership of Engineering Oladeji Boyinbode to ensure quality is maintained, Professor Oladiji said the Hall of residence has both royal and presidential seals having been donated by a royal family and commissioned by a former president. Extolling the virtues of the late monarch, former governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and the Osemawe and Paramount ruler of Ondo Kingdom, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Victor Kiladejo described the Late Oba Adebiyi Adesida as a giver, genial, amiable and a lover of people around him. They both commended President Olusegun Obasanjo for the love demonstrated towards the family of the late Monarch by honouring them with his presence to commission the project. In a vote of thanks, the daughter of the late monarch, and one-time regent of Akure Kingdom, Her Royal Majesty, Princess Dr. Adetutu Adesida-Ojei thanked all who supported the family since Kabiyesi passed. She said “today we thank God and are glad to celebrate his legacies which God has enabled us to sustain for a decade. We also thank God for upholding us and are grateful for all who have sincerely stood by us, most especially our former President, Baba Olusegun Obasanjo and several others too numerous to mention.” Cutting the tape to commission the hostel, President Olusegun Obasanjo said “this project is commissioned today in memory of a great citizen of Nigeria and a revered monarch whose short reign impacted his domain positively to the glory of God and the use of humanity.” He said the partnership with FUTA by the Adesida Dynasty was not misplaced. He acknowledged FUTA has a great institution of learning with a lot of achievements among its peers locally and globally which has made it the Best University of Technology in Nigeria and one of the top ten. He added that just as FUTA is the Best University of Technology in Nigeria, Bells University, Ota, which he founded is the First and Best Private University of Technology in Nigeria. He commended the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji for steering the ship of FUTA well as the first woman to hold such sensitive and tasking position and the recent ranking of FUTA as the country’s Third Best University in the country. Located in the heart of the FUTA campus, the tastefully furnished hostel with modern facilities is of twenty (20) rooms designed to accommodate four (4) students per room.
Dignitaries at the events include the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde represented by his deputy, Adebayo Lawal and Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke represented by his deputy, Kola Adewusi, the clergy, traditional rulers, top government functionaries and the academia.
