Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State on Thursday, July 25, 2024, hooded 159 new doctoral students and posthumously awarded PhD to His Royal Majesty, Towulade Akinale in Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta, Oba Olufemi Adewunmi Ogunleye.
Oba Ogunleye died at 79 on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in an undisclosed hospital in England.
Speaking at the 13th Postgraduate Doctoral Hooding ceremony, which was held at the institution’s Amphiltheatre, the institution President/ Vice Chancellor, Professor Ademola Tayo, notified the audience of the decision of the Senate to posthumously award PhD degree to late Oba Ogunleye who completed the writing of his thesis before his demise.
Tayo explained, “You will recall that we mention that 160 candidates succeeded in the exercise. However, today, we were able to do for 159 out of this 160, we have two royal fathers. This is the most unique of the 13th hooding ceremony we have done. We have two monarchs that successfully completed the programmme. Unfortunately, as we are planning this programme, we lost one of the Kabiyesis to the cool hands of death. He had done virtually everything. The external examiner and the internal examiner had looked at the paper , a date has been set and everything was just done, , he took ill, and he was flown to England and he died in one hospital in England. I think it is not going to be fair for us not to specially recognise the tenacity of his royal highness, Oba Olufemi Adewumi Ogunleye, who successfully completed his assignment before he passed on. I will want to crave your indulgence that all of us will rise for one minutes silence for our Kabiyesi that passed on a few weeks ago. The Senate in the last sitting voted to unanimously posthumously conferred this degree on his Kabiyesi,Towulade Akinale in Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta, Oba Olufemi Adewunmi Ogunleye. I am aware that the son, the prince is here in the congregation. In as much as we cannot give him the academic gown but we can specially honour him. So, I want to invite him to the the front as we give the flower of achievement on behalf of the late father.”
Tayo noted that the institution is committed to offering cutting edge undergraduate and postgraduate training tailored to providing well-equipped personnel to meet the fast evolving demands of our world across various sectors in the 24th century.
Tayo, who boasted that the institution’s Alumni occupy strategic positions in many academic institutions, government parastatals, and corporate organisations within and outside Nigeria said, “Despite the myriads of challenges bedeviling university education in Nigeria today, some of which include astronomical cost of electricity subscription as a result of the hike in the electricity tariffs for Band A of which Babcock University is not immune, paucity of substantial local research grants, brain drain, inflation, food security, to mention just a few, Babcock University against all this odds, provides its students with the highly coveted education and training.”
He said, “I appreciate our faculties, and staff for adopting the problem base approach to teaching and delivering institution’s integrated curriculum with finis to engender a robust synergy between the industry and academia. The Babcock postgraduate curriculum is carefully drawn to combine relevant course work spice with significant industry exposure and independent supervised research examine externally by distinguished professors from across the country. Thus, our graduate are empowered to be locally relevant , globally impactful, employers’ satisfying in whatever they find themselves.”
He stated, “This feat is undoubtedly the reward for your unflinching commitment to the pursuit of this elevated degree. This pursuit requires you to toil, sweat and go through the crucible. You had to demonstrate that you have master the act of engaging in innovative research which is a prerequisite to earn a doctoral degree from Babcock University. Today, you will agree that the outcome of this intellectually challenging and emotionally enervating endeavor is after all worth its effort.”
“You deserve this your gown. It is a symbol of academic authority. You have earned your stripes and honour with which you are being decorated today under the mass light global cameral. I wish to inform the audience that among the 2024 PhD graduands, we have people that I can call stars, people that have distinguished themselves in the careers. This speaks volume to the audience that no matter where you have reached, no matter where you belong to, you can still aspire to study more and reach the zenith of your educational journey. We have managing directors, assistant group managing directors, chief executive officers, traditional rulers, even magistrate, university librarians of higher institutions, and the list is endless among the graduands”, he added.
Urging the newly minted doctors not to forget Babcock University and be good ambassadors of the institution, Tayo pointed out, “During today’s momentous event, the candidates to be hooded are PhD holders. The graduands will remember that the path to many success is laden with many hurdles but it is only the courageous that will be able to scale the hurdles. This accomplishment should not make you complacent, rather it should spoil you to even greater attainment awaiting you in life. Be a positive makers. I wish to encourage our graduands to employ research skills and critical thinking acquired during your degree pursuit to challenge the status quo and take action needed to improve not only yourself, to improve our nation and our world at large. Do not let any encumbrance deter you. The world is waiting for you to unveil yourself, to show that you are the change agents we have been eagerly anticipating.”
Among the hooded doctoral students are Managing Director/Chief Executive, PisonCom Media Network Limited, the Publisher of an online newspaper, PrimeStar News, Dr Oluwagbemiro Adesina, His Royal Majesty, the Olokine of Ojowo, Ijebu Igbo, Oba (Dr) Abdulrasheed Abayomi Olusesan Banjo, a Lagos State Chief Magistrate, Dr Davies Abimbola Mogbonjusola, and his counterpart from the Ogun State Judiciary, Dr Ilo Babajide Olatoye, Managing Director, Anchor Insurance Company Limited, Dr Ebose Augustine Osegha, AGMD WEMA Bank PLC, Dr Femi-Olagundoye Mercy, Director of Nursing Services, FCE, Abeokuta, Dr Komolafe Folasade Omolade, Deputy Manager, Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Imandojemu Kingsley, Executive Secretary, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Export Promotion Group, Dr Obhiosa Benedict Ommonkalo, Assistant Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Dr Owopetu Ayodeji Abiodun, and Business Manager, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Dr Oyekale Olusola Oyewwole.
