Mueez Bolaji
The First Technical University, Ibadan, on Thursday, September 29, welcomed the Visitor to the institution and Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, as he flagged off the neighbouring Rashidi Ladoja Adewolu Government Reserved Area (GRA) and a Ring Road also named after High Chief Ladoja. While the GRA is beside the Aso Hostel of Tech-U, While the circular road is the boundary of the 200 ha land on which the main campus of the varsity sits.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, was the special guest while top functionaries of the Oyo State Government joined Governor Makinde at the important ceremonies.
Senator Ladoja, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Olalekan Balogun Alli Iwo II, and many other dignitaries were also in attendance.
On hand to welcome the Visitor were the Vice Chancellor of the First Technical University, Professor Adesola Ajayi; the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Iyiola Tella; Registrar, Mrs Olayinka Balogun; and the Bursar, Pastor Kehinde Olatokun.
Other university officials present were the Director of the Vice Chancellor’s Office, Mrs Lanre Omolola; Director of Academic Planning, Dr Mrs Oluranti Sangodoyin; Principal Assistant Registrar, Mr Olusola Ariyibi; and the Chief Engineer, Engr. Akinsowon Olaniyi, who was accompanied by other experts in the Works Department, including Engineer Akeem Ogundele, Engr. Taiwo Olajire and Architect Busayo Awonekan.
Many Tech-U students rose to welcome the governor and his guests and he particularly acknowledged this and appreciated their presence.
Tech-U is located in the strategic zone where the two projects are taking off – on the Lagos Ibadan-Expressway – which is attracting several landmark projects.
Apart from the proposed GRA and the Rashidi Ladoja Road, other institutions, companies and projects are steadily rising right and left of what has been described as the Nigeria’s busiest road.
The university itself has continued to grow in scholarship and infrastructure, with faculties and courses expanding, while facilities critical to the blended, versatile as well as brain-developing and hand-training education it offers are equally multiplying.
Speaking on the coming of the GRA and the road project to the vicinity, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adesola Ajayi, noted that the infrastructure and others emerging facilities promised Tech-U further accelerated growth as the more the area develops the better for expansion.
He said, “Everyone is welcome to this axis. Although the First Technical University is just about five years old here, we can say we are the hosts, at least to the other monuments developing after our coming on stream.
“But, on a more serious note, the infrastructural expansion on this Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor by the Oyo State Government is a very wise and strategic one. With the GRA, the circular road now named after the former Governor, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja, more investment will be attracted to this area. The beauty of projects of this nature is that they will inspire more ideas, more projects and facilities, making the city expansion more strategic and mutually benefitting. You know our Visitor, Engr. Seyi Makinde – the Oyo State Governor – is a strategic thinker and someone coming from the private sector. So, he can easily project the entrepreneurial value the projects will add to the state and country in general. Of course, Tech-U is well positioned for partnership and for support for all the initiatives coming this direction.
“One is happy to note that the University has also brought a lot of economic activities to that axis as we, for instance, extended national grid from the Orange company to Tech-U. All businesses and residential places in-between were then able to connect to the national grid and it is also from this that the new GRA will be connected. Chi Farms and several other petrol stations that were hitherto being run on generators were also able to connect to the national grid.”
Meanwhile, speaking at the event, Governor Makinde said that the building of GRAs in the state would provide more houses for the growing population, while also raising revenue for the government.
According to him, the GRA is named after Ladoja, because of his great contributions to the growth of Oyo State, adding that the former governor had conceived the idea of Ibadan Circular Road.
Governor Makinde: “Today we celebrate one of our elder statesmen here in Oyo State. He has been like a father to me, and even when we sometimes disagree as most fathers and sons would, when it comes to governance, we both want the best for the good people of Oyo State.
“The twin events we are hosting today – the sod-turning ceremony for the Senator Rashidi Ladoja GRA and the official flag off of the construction of the 32km phase one of the Ibadan Circular Road – are a tribute to Baba – His Excellency, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.
“As our city continues to grow and our economy expands, there is a constant need for housing needs to be met across income groups. And we are using various means to achieve this. We have Public Private Partnerships whereby the government provides the land, and the private developers come in and develop it.
“We have also created new GRAs where the government partners with private firms on a site and infrastructure deal to ensure that amenities such as electricity supply from the grid, roads, water and so on are available in the GRAs and the land is sold to members of the public to develop.
“These arrangements are contributing to the development of our cities while also providing more houses for the growing population and raising revenue for the government.”
