L-R: Mrs Nkem Sofela; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Lagos State University( LASU) Ojo; guest speaker and British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Ben Llewellyn-Jones; Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello; Mrs Bola Badmus Olujobi and Chancellor, LASU, at an event to commemmorate the first anniversary of the vice-chancellor, on Tuesday.

The Lagos State University (LASU) Ojo, on Tuesday, refunded a total of 556 students, who have first-class grade in their respective courses across various departments of the university at the undergraduate level with half of their school fees for the last academic year.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, handed over the award certificate in that regard to 11 of them as symbolic presentation at an event to commemorate her one year in office as a vice-chancellor.

She said the scholarship award which is in fulfilment of her promise when she became the ninth substantive vice-chancellor of the university a year ago is simply to reward excellence and also encourage healthy competition among students of the institution.

She explained that while those in graduation class among them would get the refund in cash, their juniors would have theirs as roll-over rebates on their school fees for the next academic year.

She noted that the students some of whom with a perfect score of 5.0 CGPA would enjoy the gesture as long as they maintain their First Class grade till graduation.

Speaking about her vision to make the university the best brand in West Africa by 2026, the vice-chancellor said her administration instituted a six-cardinal goal towards the realisation of the vision and pursuing it vigorously.

She said the vision, which is hinged on the tripartite mandates of the university, just like every other university, which are quality learning, research and community services, is on course and with her team and God on their side, it would be achieved on record time.

She congratulated all the students who won the scholarship award and urged them to remain committed to their studies.

While thanking the British envoy for accepting to be the guest speaker at the event, the vice-chancellor said the essence of the public lecture is to serve as a platform to engender intellectual debates that will proffer workable solutions to the deplorable state of education in Nigeria.

She, however, lamented the incessant industrial actions in public universities such as the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) that has dragged for up to seven months and still counting, saying the situation is greatly taking huge toll on the nation’s education and the economy as a whole.

She called on both the Federal Government and the striking lecturers to reach a compromise on their differences to enable academic activities to resume across the nation’s public universities.

In her own remark, wife of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, who was the chairman of the event with the vice-chancellor’s husband and Lagos state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tunji Bello, in attendance, commended the effort of Prof Olatunji-Bello, particularly as regards the huge achievement her administration had been able to make within one year.

She said the achievement which include sustenance of peace, students’ academic excellence, winning of laurels and research grants by faculty members, among others really showed that the vice-chancellor actually understood what the àoffice of a vice-chancellor meant.

Represented at the event by Mrs Nkem Sofela, Mrs Sanwo-Olu had before the lecture inaugurated some projects done by the administration of Olatunji-Bello, which included a Bakery, Staff Clubhouse and a two- block of Skill Acquisition Centre even as she wished her well as she journey on in the office. She said she is really proud of her.

In his lecture earlier, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Ben Llewellyn-Jones stressed the importance of quality education to citizens particularly to girl-child as a means to lift many out of hunger and poverty.

Speaking on the topic of the event, “The significance of education to the growth of a nation,” the envoy said the UK government has been supporting Nigeria’s education at various levels and in various ways and will continue to do the same for the country.

He said education is a right and not a privilege but that it is unfortunate that the high level of insecurity and conflict occasioned by terrorism and kidnapping that the country is experiencing daily have put many school-going-age children away from classrooms.

He said the situation which affected the northern part of the country more than the southern part is a sad one for a country like Nigeria with low-income index.

She emphasised that the UK government would continue to support Nigeria’s education in every way possible.