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TASUED Pro-Chancellor Commends Outgoing VC Over Performance As University Honours Him With Festschrift …..Yemisi Shyllon, Dotun Sanusi Donate To Institution 

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The Pro-Chancellor of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASUED), Professor Rahman Bello has commended the outgoing Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Oluwole Sikiru Banjo for his leadership roles and selfless service to the institution during his five-year tenure.
Professor Bello spoke on Thursday during the unveiling of a festschrift in honour of Professor Banjo titled; “”From Farm To Faculty: Planting People and Building Systems” at the university hall.
According to him, “Professor Oluwole Banjo has served the institution very well and he is leaving with honour. We want to appreciate you for what you did and service to humanity. We appreciate the outgoing vice chancellor, he has done very well and we look forward to the incoming vice chancellor to continue from where he is stopping,” he said.
Professor Rahman Bello also thanked Dr Yemisi Shyllon for donating the statue of the late Dr Tai Solarin to the institution and Dr Dotun Sanusi for donating a staff club to the university, which he said is imperative to promote activities in the school compound.
While saying that Dr Shyllon has been a philanthropist that has affected many lives, he said that the staff club is a big facility that will make the university lively, especially at night.
“People value you more than you value yourself. We have a very beautiful campus and we will ensure that it is not overcrowded. The compound must be clean now that activities would go on there at night. As a Federal University, we must show others that it will be a model university of education.
Recall that both Dr Shyllon and Dr Sanusi were honoured with doctorate degrees by the university last year.
In his speech at the book launch, Professor Oluwole Banjo thanked the university community for the honour done to him and asked for forgiveness from staff, who felt he had wronged them in the course of discharging his duty as VC, saying that any of his decisions wasn’t personal, but that it was about putting TASUED first.
He also thanked both Dr Yemisi Shyllon and Dr Dotun Sanusi for the donations and appreciated them for reaching out to the university, saying that he would always be grateful to them for the gesture.
Professor ‘Niran Adetoro, one of the editors of the festschrift, said that Professor Oluwole Banjo has done well for the university within the five years of his tenure.
Speaking during the unveiling of the book, Professor Adetoro said that it was a way of honouring the outgoing VC for his selfless service to the university.
“The production of this festschrift in honour of Professor Oluwole Banjo, the outgoing Vice Chancellor of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASUED) represents the collective effort of many individuals, whose dedication and commitment made this volume possible.
“With profound gratitude and deep sense of honour, I wish to acknowledge the numerous individuals and groups whose contributions and goodwill made the production of this Festschrift in honour of Professor Banjo not only possible, but truly memorable.
“I wish to express my profound gratitude to Professor Rahman Bello, Chairman of the Governing Council, for graciously writing the foreword of the book.
“His insightful reflections and kind words aptly set the tone for this commemorative volume. Indeed, his words of wisdom provide both inspiration and context to this Volume, setting the tone for the celebrations of a remarkable academic journey,” he said.
The 400-page book is divided into five sections covering Professor Oluwole Banjo’s activities as Vice Chancellor, tributes, years of impact and interview.
However, speaking earlier on why he decided to donate the Tai Solarin statue to the university, Dr Shyllon said that it was based on his principle about life, which he said started a long time ago.
Dr Shyllon revealed that he has done similar projects for the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos and Pan Atlantic University, where he said he established the biggest museum in Nigeria.
“TASUED is one of the places I have decided to do this. I still have many more. It is my purpose in life, which is to give and not to receive, which is in line with what is in line with that Winston Churchill said that you live with what you give, you give life.
“I believe very much in giving. There are people who have come to this world who were very rich, but they never left lasting legacy and when they are dead they are forgotten.
“I don’t want to be forgotten, I want to be remembered for my contributions to life. I don’t believe that life is vanity, it is full of many things you can do not make it a vanity. I have helped many people to get Phd through my foundation. I have helped many artists to become somebody in the world and I still continue to do that to leave lasting legacy anywhere I go,” he said.
The philanthropist added that his giving is not only to universities, but that in 2010, he donated 18 sculptural works to the Freedom Park in Lagos State to encourage tourism in Nigeria.
Dr Shyllon added that in Abeokuta, Ogun State, through Professor Funke Ifeta, who handled the Tai Solarin project, he donated 20 feet high Sodeke image, adding that he has done so many things within and outside the university.
He however, urged younger generations need to learn from him, saying that he is writing a book that will help them and guide them on what to do.
He then advised the Nigerian government on the need to do a lot for education, and revealed that the likes of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo did much to promote education in their time, which he said is why he is doing something to immortalise him.
“On December 5, I am unveiling a bronze sculpture like this for the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He built Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State in 1962 and became the Chancellor in 1967. I observed that people have graduated from the university and they never left a legacy for him.
“That is why I am doing this. The holy book said that we should embrace charity as it is written in I Corinthians 13 verse 13 in the bible and Holy Quran Chapter 18 verse 46. If you read them, you will see why you should show love and leave a legacy for others.
“When I was with my paternal grandmother, one man that I valued so much is the late Tai Solarin. I want to thank Professor Rahman Bello for bringing me here.
“I didn’t think about this until they decided to honour me and I thank Professor Oluwole Banjo, Professor Funke Ifeta and others. I believe that posterity would remember all of us together.
“Coming here is very important to me. I thank you all for the great things you are doing here. I thank Professor Banjo for the selfless things he has done for the university,” he said.
The representative of Dr Sanusi also said that the philanthropist, who he said was unavoidably absent at the commissioning, decided to donate the staff club as a way of giving back to the university, adding that he planned to do more to uplift the institution in the nearest future.
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