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Tributes as OYSCATECH holds valedictory Board of Studies meeting for out-going Deputy Rector {Photos}
It was a day of tribute as the Board of Studies holds a special valedictory session in honour of the outgoing Deputy Rector, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH), Igboora, Dr. Oluwasanjo Ariyo Okunlola.
The special valedictory session , held last Friday at the Boardroom of the institution, was chaired by the Acting Rector, Mr. Isiaka Adekunle. The event also had in attendance, the representative of the Governing Council Chairman, Dr. Amos Abegunde, the Acting Registrar, Mr. Paul Oyediran, the Chairman Committee of Deans, Dr. Wasiu Bello, Deans of Faculties, Directors and Heads of Departments among others.
Addressing the Board of Studies meeting, the acting Rector lauded the outgoing deputy rector for his commitment and dedication to duty since 2008 that he had joined the services of the Institution as one of it’s foundation staffs.
Speaking further, he extolled the good virtues of Dr. Ariyo Okunlola, especially his doggedness in pursuing his doctorate degree and for becoming a PhD holder barely at the age of 60.
Adekunle, however charged other staff members to emulate the commitment and dedication of the outgoing deputy rector to duty.
Giving her tributes, the immediate past Director of Global Consult, Dr. Taiwo Akinyemi, in an emotional laden voice described Dr. Okunlola as a God fearing, honest, worthy leader, mentor and close associate as well as practical oriented man.
According to Dr. Akinyemi, “we achieved greatly during the biennial conference through his wealth of experience. I will greatly miss him.”
Also speaking, the Chairman Committee of Deans, Dr. Wasiu Bello thanked the outgoing Deputy Rector for his contributions towards academic matters in the College. He described the outgoing deputy rector as someone who does things on merit and does not believe in manipulation.
Bello equally described him as a selfless and sacrificial man.
According to him, the Dean, Faculty of Management and Communication Studies, Mr. AKintunde posited that the outgoing Deputy Rector is irreplaceable considering the rate at which he mingles with the young lecturers, irrespective of their age.
Mr. Akintunde described Dr. Okunlola as a go-getter, tolerant, religious but non-fanatical.
The Acting Registrar referred to the outgoing Deputy Rector as a straight forward, dutiful and committed man who plays advisory roles at all times.
They all prayed God to continue to help him in his future endeavours, while wishing him a pleasant rest after hard labour.
Responding, the outgoing Deputy Rector, Dr. Okunlola who expressed surprise at the level of love demonstrated towards him by staff of the institution, thanked everyone for their affection and gifts.
The outgoing Deputy Rector appealed to both the teaching and non-teaching Staff to remain united, ready to work and mentor others.
Okunlola, who emphasized the need not to relent in writing award winning proposals and papers for publications, also enjoined staff to maintain high level of discipline.
Dr. Oluwasanjo Ariyo Okunlola had his WASC O’Level at Igboora High School in 1976 and G.C.E. A/L at the Polytechnic, Ibadan. He proceeded to the University of Ibadan for his Bachelor of Science (BSc.Hons.) in Forestry Resources Management in 1979 and graduated in 1983.
In 1987, Dr. Ariyo Okunlola returned to the University of Ibadan for his Master’s Degree and was awarded, Master of Science in Forestry Resources Management in 1988.
The dogged Ariyo Okunlola returned to his Alma Mater, the University of Ibadan for a PhD programme and in 2017, he bagged his PhD in Forestry Resources Management.
Ariyo Okunlola started his career with the Ogun State Forestry plantation Project in 1983 during his Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC). Upon the completion of his NYSC programme, he was privileged to work with the Ogun State Forestry Plantation Project as Research Monitoring and Record Officer between 1984 and 1987 under the World Bank Assisted programme.
He rose to become Plantation Officer between 1990 and 1991 under the ADB assisted programme.
Between 1994 and 2002, Dr. Okunlola was the Project Manager and Senior Consultant to different organizations.
In 2002, Ariyo Okunlola joined Leventis Foundation LTD/GTE in Lagos as a trainer in Agroforestry and Head of Deprtment, Crop and Agroforestry Leventis Foundation Agricultural School, Dogondawa, Kaduna State.
Dr. Okunlola joined the services of Oyo State College of Agriculture, Igboora, now Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora as Lecturer 1 in 2008 and rose to the position of Chief Lecturer until his retirement in October 4, 2020.
As a forestry expert and a passionate teacher, Dr. Ariyo Okunlola has taught so many courses in the field of forestry and had served in various capacities at the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora some of which include; Head of Department, Agricultural Technology, Head of Department, Forestry Technology, Sub-dean, School of Plant Sciences and Director, Academic Planing unit.
Others include; Chairman, Committee on Land Matters, OYSCAI Ventures, Students’ Disciplinary Committee, Inter-Religious Committee among others.
Dr. Okunlola has published several articles and attended several conferences and seminars both locally and internationally.
Dr. Okunlola served as Vice Chairman, Forestry Association of Nigeria, Oyo State Chapter, Resource Inspector to National Board for Technical Education, Member, Optimal International Klobb, Igboora, Member, Men’s Missionary Union, Nigerian Baptist Convention and Life Member, Bible Society of Nigeria among others.
The headquarters of Heritage Bank at Victoria Island, Lagos, was besieged on Thursday by members of the labour union, protesting the recent dismissal of 1,000 support workers.
The National President of the National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Employees, Comrade Anthony Abakpa, led the demonstration, condemning the bank’s management for what he deemed a lack of adherence to due process in the termination of employment contracts.
Speaking during the protest, Comrade Abakpa asserted that the leadership of Heritage Bank failed to follow established protocols before executing the mass layoffs.
He emphasised the union’s commitment to pursuing justice for the affected workers, vowing to escalate their demands until the bank’s management rectifies the situation.
“We will intensify our demands for justice,” declared Comrade Abakpa, urging the bank’s management to take corrective action to address the grievances of the dismissed workers.
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, clarified that Nigeria is not utilising its foreign reserves to bolster the naira, despite recent fluctuations in reserve levels.
Speaking from Washington DC, where he is attending the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings, Cardoso highlighted the influx of $600 million into Nigeria’s reserves account within the past two days.
While the naira has experienced a notable appreciation against the dollar in recent weeks, climbing over 40% from approximately N1,900/$ to about N1,000/$1, Nigeria’s foreign reserves have been dwindling. As of April 15, reserves dropped to approximately $32.29 billion, marking the lowest level in over six years.
Cardoso emphasised that the shifts in reserves are typical for any country, where various financial obligations, such as debt repayments, necessitate withdrawals.
He stated, “What you’ve seen with respect to the shift in our reserves is normal in any country’s reserves where, for example, debts are due and certain payments need to be made. They are made because that is also part of keeping your credibility.”
Continuing, Cardoso underscored the dynamic nature of the market, advocating for a system driven by willing buyers, willing sellers, and price discovery.
He emphasised, “The shift in our reserves has really little or nothing to do with defending the naira, and that is certainly not our objective.”
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has made headlines by announcing a further reduction in the price of diesel, dropping it from ₦1200 to ₦1000 naira per litre.
The refinery’s decision comes on the heels of its recent supply at a significantly reduced price of ₦1200 per litre, which was introduced three weeks ago, signifying a remarkable 30 per cent decrease from the previous market price of approximately ₦1600 per litre.
This substantial reduction in diesel prices at Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to reiterate positively throughout various sectors of the economy, potentially serving as a catalyst in alleviating the persistently high inflation rate in the country.
In a statement last week, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s wealthiest individual and the owner of the refinery, expressed his optimism regarding the potential impact of the price reduction on inflation in Nigeria.
“I believe that we are on the right track. I believe Nigerians have been patient, and I also believe that a lot of goodies will now come through. There’s quite a lot of improvement because if you look at it, one of the major issues that we’ve had was the naira devaluation that has gone very aggressively up to about ₦1900,” he remarked.
As anticipation builds around the implications of this move by Dangote Petroleum Refinery, stakeholders and consumers alike remain hopeful for the positive effects it could bring to the Nigerian economy in the coming months.
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