The royal father of the hoost community of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB, the Agura of Gbagura, His Royal Majesty, Oba Saburee Babajide Bakre, Jamolu II, will tomorrow, Wednesday, November 23, pay a royal visit to the university at 10 am.
A release by the Head, Public Relations of FUNAAB, Mr. Kola Adepoju, quoted the Deputy Registrar, Vice Chancellor’s Office, Mr.Moses Ayanda, as saying that the highly revered monarch and his entourage of high chiefs and illustrious sons and daughters of the sprawling Gbagura kingdom will be hosted by the university’s management at the Council Chamber.
Checks revealed that the sprawling 10,000 hectares of land on which FUNAAB is built is exclusively owned by the Gbagura kingdom.
This is the first time that the reigning Agura will be paying a royal visit to the university which is under his jurisdiction since May 21, 2019 when the former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, presented him with staff of office amid pomp and pageantry at Oke Ido.
Though, Oba Bakree, a former Chief Superintendent of Customs, had visited the university twice this year and since he ascended the throne of his forebears, however, history beckons tomorrow, as he pays a maiden royal visit to the university.
The Directorate of Public Relations recalls that Agura physically graced and commissioned one of the numerous infrastructural facilities during the first phase of the spate and gale of commissioning that remarkably swept through the university under the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako.
Similarly, barely two months ago, the Agura of Gbagura, ably represented by a high chief and former General Manager of Ogun State Television, OGTV, Chief Festus Kehinde, commissioned the university’s ‘Academic Building,’ which is one of the many projects constructed under the Phase II of Prof. Salako’s administration and marking the completion of his tenure of office.
The Directorate of Public Relations revealed that Agura’s visit on Wednesday is significant in many ways.
For one, it is coming at a time when the new acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olusola Babatunde Kehinde, barely three weeks in office, has strengthened the much needed town and gown relationship, to boost and raise the bar off robust rapport, peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationship with the university’s host communities.
The Directorate further recollects that the acting Vice Chancellor officially graced the coronation of the new Olowu of Owu recently.
Only last Friday, the acting Vice Chancellor, in company of the Registrar, Dr.’ Bola Adekola, on behalf of the university, graced and felicitated with the paaramount ruler and Alake of Egbaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, CFR, on his 17th coronation anniversary, which held at Ake Palace.
The acting Vice Chancellor also used the occasion to interact with other highly revered first class monarchs, including: the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, Oba.(Dr.) Adedapo Adewale Tejuosho, CON, Karunwi III, Oranmiyan; the new Olowu of Owu kingdom, Oba. Prof. Saka Matemilola; and the Towulade of Akinale, Oba (Dr.) Olufemi Ogunleye.
In the same vein, the visit will avail the university management and the Agura the opportunity to address relevant issues for mutual development.
The Directorate joins the Prof. Kehinde-led management of the university, the Senate, the Committee of Deans and Directors, CODAD, staff, students and the entire university community to welcome the Agura of Gbagura, His Royal Majesty, Oba Saburee Babajide Bakre, Jamolu II, and his entourage to the university.
