Echono to deliver FUTO’s 36th Convocation Lecture

The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) Arch. Sunday Silver Echono, will on Thursday, December 5th, 2024 deliver the 36th Convocation Lecture of the Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri.

The lecture titled “Impact of Leadership Selection on Governance in Public Universities in Nigeria” will hold at Prof. C.O.E. Onwuliri Conference Hall, FUTO main campus, Owerri.

The University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Mrs). Nnenna Oti, will be the Chief Host at the lecture, which is expected to attract participants from within and outside the university community, especially the academia.

FUTO is the oldest university of technology in Nigeria, established in 1980 by Nigeria’s first Executive President, Shehu Shagari. It became the first of three such universities set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria, which sought to establish a University of Technology in each geo-political region, particularly in a state which did not have a conventional university.

Arc.Sunday Sylva Togo Echono OON is a Nigerian diplomat, and architect who serves as the ninth Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund from 2022 till-date. Previously, Echono served as the Secretary of the Admissions Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Architects and the 28th President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects from 2019 to 2021.

Sonny Echono was nominated by the Board of TETFUND in early 2022 and was subsequently appointed as the substantive 9th Executive Secretary (ES) of TETFUND on March 18, 2022, by former President Muhammad Buhari.
A former permanent secretary in federal ministries, Echono had been honoured by governmental and non-governmental bodies locally and internationally. He is a recipient of Officer of Order of Niger (OON).

LAUTECH Emerges Qualifier at NOA Southwest National Values Debate

In a thrilling display of intellect and oratory, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) has been crowned the Southwest champion at the 7 for 7 National Values Charter Campus Debate and Capacity Building Conference. The event, organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and held at the Julius Berger Hall of the University of Lagos, aimed to inspire a culture of national values and civic responsibility among Nigerian youth.

The competition culminated in a gripping debate between LAUTECH, represented by Adekunle Ayomide and Oladeji Olushina, and the University of Ibadan, represented by Oyedijo Olarenwaju and Chineke Ugochukwu. The teams dissected the topic, “7 for 7 National Values Charter: Striking the Balance Between Government Promises and Citizens’ Responsibilities in Nation-Building,” presenting compelling arguments that explored the intricate interplay between governance and civic duty.

LAUTECH’s Adekunle Ayomide impressed with his calm yet authoritative delivery, while Oladeji Olushina’s vivid examples underscored the importance of shared responsibility. Their counterparts from the University of Ibadan countered with historical insights and pragmatic solutions, making the contest a true battle of wits.

After intense deliberations, the judges awarded LAUTECH the southwest championship title, earning them a ₦5,000,000 prize and a ticket to the grand finale, where they will compete for the ultimate ₦20,000,000 prize.

The event was more than a competition. A capacity-building segment led by distinguished facilitators offered invaluable insights to attendees. Oluseye Taiwo Adepoju, renowned as “The Oracle” and a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, delivered a session on leadership and personal development, encouraging participants to harness their unique strengths for societal impact.

Dr. Leonard Okonkwo, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, engaged the audience with an exploration of human behavior and its role in national progress. Through practical exercises and anecdotes, he emphasized the need for mental and emotional resilience in achieving personal and societal goals.

Tolu Meduna, the program coordinator, articulated the essence of the initiative: “Our goal is to raise Citizen Values Brigadiers—youths who will champion the ethos of unity, accountability, and resilience. This is how we build a stronger Nigeria.” Meduna also outlined the event’s national scope, noting that the debate series will span all six geopolitical zones of the country, with the ultimate winner determined by online viewers at a live broadcast event.

The conference attracted notable dignitaries, including Hon. Moruf Akinderu Fatai, Lagos State Commissioner for Housing; Hon. Opeyemi Alabi, Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Youth Mobilization; and Izehi Semira, Founder of Shape A Child Initiative. Hon. Fatai lauded the initiative, stating, “This aligns perfectly with our collective mission to create a Nigeria where values drive progress.”

As the curtains fell, the 7 for 7 National Values Charter left an indelible mark on participants. Beyond the awards and accolades, the initiative ignited a renewed commitment to unity, accountability, and national development. All attendees received Citizen Values Brigade certificates, symbolizing their role as ambassadors of change. The National Identity Project is championed by the director general of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu.

For LAUTECH, the journey to the national grand finale promises new challenges and opportunities. For the nation, the message was clear: embracing shared values and responsibilities is the path to a brighter future.

The value train continues its journey, uniting hearts and minds in a shared vision of progress and national pride.

Why Dapo Abiodun Deserves Another Term In Ogun State By Femi Oyewale

 

To know the good from the bad, study a man or woman’s history of actions, not their record of intentions.

Suzy Kassem

Arguably,  the Ogun State Governor,  Prince Dapo Abiodun deserves another term in governance. His strategic intentional act about transforming Ogun state amidst scarce revenue is worthy of honour.

Objectively, Governor Abiodun is a responsive and responsible first-class citizen of Ogun State. Despite the political and bureaucratic tentacles, entanglement, and traps surrounding him, he has been able to wriggle his way out in advancing the course of governance in the state.

Of a truth, many naysayers will not agree with the fact that he merited a second chance because, but the truth remains that for continuity,  performance, and advancement,  you can’t change a winning team. No leader is perfect and no leader can meet the needs of the citizens fully, but a performing governor needs more time to actualize his visionary agenda without politicking…

One thing you can’t take away from Dapo Abiodun is the fact that he is a responsive governor. For instance, the condition of St. Kizito’s High School, a secondary school in Iwopin, Ogun Waterside, Ogun State this year shook the internet. A video capturing this condition showed a classroom of students writing their promotion exams on the bare floor. The goal of the video was to shame Governor Abiodun as he prepares for the 2023 gubernatorial election, and turn the heart of the Ogun State people against him,

However, Governor Abiodun rose to the occasion and not in the manner anticipated by his detractors. Rather than point accusing fingers at his predecessor, which is what many other governors have done when faced with the same situation, Abiodun immediately sent furniture over to St. Kizito’s High School. Moreover, Abiodun’s constructive response came less than 12 hours after the video started making rounds, showing that he cares more about the students than about holding up the reputation they had attempted to ruin.

Moreover, even neutral onlookers have noted that although Abiodun could not have known about such a situation in his state, it is already quite amazing that he responded quickly and without submitting an excuse or counter-accusation.

With this achievement, Governor Abiodun continues to hold his position as one of the country’s more responsive, progressive, and visionary governors.

Also, from the rebuilding of the Abeokuta-Sagamu interchange road to the Epe-Ijebu Ode Expressway, and the different infrastructural development, including improvement in Education and quality Health-care,  Governor Abiodun’s strategic intentions about transforming Ogun state into an industrial capital of the continent, particularly with the new Ogun state Agro-Cargo Airport which is dubbed to be the first truly International Cargo Airport in Nigeria and the fastest constructed airport in the continent. Cannot be contested.

Amidst distractions and limitations, He has been firing on all cylinders, ensuring that the ISEYA mantra comes to reality. From road infrastructure to housing, health, education, agriculture, and the digital sector, evidence abounds of policies and plans executed to change the development narrative and take the state to enviable heights. As described by Governor Dapo Abiodun himself, the projects executed by his administration “have the inputs and are informed by the needs of the people as expressed by them at different engagement fora.” This, he avers, “is because we anchor our Building our Future Together Agenda on inclusiveness, equity, fairness, transparency, accountability, justice, and obedience to the rule of law.”

No less a personality than the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), attested to this vision when he inaugurated projects in the state, including the Ijebu-Ode-Epe road, a strategic arterial road that links the Lekki/Epe corridor of Lagos State to the eastern corridor of Ogun State at Ijebu-Ode, provides a ready alternative to the Lagos/Ibadan expressway for those going to Lekki and adjoining areas and provides a fillip for socio-economic activities in the South-East and South-South zones of Nigeria through the linkage of the road to Sagamu-Benin Expressway for easier access by motorists to Lagos, Nigeria’s largest economy. The president inaugurated the 42km Sagamu Interchange-Abeokuta Road, the main arterial road that leads to the state capital and which comes with a dual carriageway with streetlights, median and other road furniture vastly redesigned and reconstructed to address the daily challenges being experienced by commuters.

The president lauded the Gateway City Gate, an architectural masterpiece made of composite materials towering to a height of 27m and warmly welcoming visitors to the state, and the two Housing Estates for low, medium, and high-income earners at Kobape and Oke-Mosan. Kobape has 300 units of one, two, and three-bedroom flats described as a “Smart City” where people can live, work and play, complete with solar streetlights, a sewage system, a primary health centre, drainage, water, electricity, tarred road, and a police post. And his verdict is quite instructive and ennobling: ‘‘When state governments deliver impactful projects, in consultations with stakeholders, as we have witnessed in Ogun State, the trajectory of our national development will be enhanced.” This verdict becomes extremely hard to contest when the series of fiscal and policy reforms initiated by the Abiodun administration, including the reinvigoration of the Security Trust Fund; establishment of the Public-Private Partnership Office; the Ogun Digital Economy Infrastructure Projects, and the Ogun State Land Revenue and Management Systems are considered together with the business reforms that have ensured that Ogun State is in now Nigeria’s top investment destination.