From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
A Non-Governmental Organisation in Ogun, the Egba Economic Summit, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the siting of the University of Medicine in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
This commendation was contained in a statement signed by the President of the Summit, Shina Luwoye, copies made available to journalists in Abeokuta, on Wednesday.
Luwoye who further hailed the president for assenting to the Bill which was first presented to the Senate in 2019, equally lauded the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo for his doggedness in achieving the feat.
He noted that the university was one of the cardinal objectives of the agenda the Summit has been working assiduously on, while also being part of the presidential committee for the establishment of the school.
“Once again, the sun has shone upon Egbaland 70 years after we missed the golden opportunity to host the first university in the sub-saharan Africa, that is the University of Ibadan
“To the glory of God and in recognition of the leadership and astuteness of our Kabiyesi, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, we want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for graciously approving the siting of the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences in the heart of Egbaland for the people of Ogun State and western Nigeria.
“This feat could not have been possible without the efforts of our visionary and astute politicians that have represented us well at the National Assembly.
“Though the Bill was first introduced to the National Assembly by Senator Lanre Tejuosho. However, in the spirit of cooperation that has always existed among the Egba people, Tejuosho’s successor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun continued from where he stopped.
“But not only Senator Amosun continued this, he financed the passage of the Bill personally and to the glory of God, before he completes his current tenure at the senate, the president assented to the bill and the university now berths in Egbaland.
“I must also mention that Senator Amosun provided 350 hectares of land; a permanent site for the university. For the first time in Ogun state, a tertiary institution will be taking off on its permanent site,” Luwoye stated.
While giving kudos to other notable Egba indigenes who made the feat possible, the EES president specifically thanked the Aro of Egbaland, Chief Oluyinka Kufile, for leading a powerful delegation of Egba people to the National Assembly, to further lobby the passage of the Bill.
Luwoye, in the statement, however, thanked the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu for his immense contributions towards the achievement.
“We must recognize that this man singularly used his office to make sure that all the prerequisites for establishment and assent to that Bill were provided”, he added.
He submitted by congratulating the people in Egbaland and urging them to pull their resources together so that the university can begin to run next year.