Francis Akinnodi, Ondo
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The Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo will today at its 34th Convocation ceremony confer the College Fellowship Award on the wife of Ondo State Governor, Her Excellency, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu.

The Provost of the College, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, who made this known at the pre-convocation press briefing in Ondo, said that the ceremony is symbolic because it also coincides with the end of his tenure as the first Alumnus Provost of the institution.

He said due to many considerations, especially competing financial demands, the college was unable to hold any convocation ceremony in the last four years.

Convocation is money intensive and we were left with the choice of holding annual ceremonies at the expense of other tangible developmental projects that would have impacted more directly on the core mandates of teaching, research and innovations in learning, which the college has been saddled with and we chose the latter.

He disclosed that a total of 12,628 graduands are expected to participate in the ceremony for the awards of the National Certificate in Education, Bachelor of Arts/Science Education, Certificates and Diplomas from different programmes offered by the college.

According to Ogen, “The outcome of our resolve to focus more strongly on the quality of teaching has greatly helped in ensuring seamless and unbroken academic calendars, thereby ensuring that every year, as it should be, we have a new set of graduands.

So at this convocation, we shall be graduating four sets, representing each year of an uninterrupted academic session.

“And of this total number, 2,945 belonged to the 2012/2013 session, 2,572 are of the 2014/2015 session, 2,752 belonged to the 2015/2016 session while 4,096 are of the 2016/2017 session”.

The outgoing Provost, who said the convocation will hold on Wednesday, added that the institution is determined to make a difference despite numerous challenges.

He also said the institution would confer College Fellowships on four eminent personalities who have been carefully and unanimously selected by the relevant organs of the college in recognition of their various roles in not only supporting the school, but the society at large.

“Among the awardees is the wife of Ondo state Governor, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu who is being recognized for her special contributions to the college in terms of sponsoring 50 female students for NGO activities relating to breast cancer awareness campaigns and sustainable social development among other contributions.

“Others include Prof. Victor Mbarika for his contributions in terms of huge donations of state-of-the-art IT equipment, an e-library among others, Prof. Toyin Falola and Dr. A.B Baffa, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Abuja.

“Also Life Time Achievement Awards will be conferred on the following at the ceremony, the Olugbo of Ugbo, Oba Frederick Obateru Akinruntan, High Chief Sir Olabanji Akingbule, Prof. Shaison Ouseph Antony and Ondo Development Committee.

“Again, posthumous lifetime achievement awards will be conferred on Barrister Bamidele Aturu and Otunba Noah Fadayomi, while awards for Teaching Excellence will be given to the following outstanding teachers as part of the celebration of the 2018 Teachers’ Day- Chief (Mrs) Olufunke Iluyemi, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa, Prof. Babatunde Babawale, Prof. Akin Alao, Dr. Gboyega Ajayi, Mrs. O.A Olajuyigbe, Mr. J.B Arogundade, Mr. C.O Ayodele and Dr. A.A Adekomi”.