By CHINYERE NWACHUKWU

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, on Wednesday called on well-meaning Nigerians to join hands with government in seeking solutions to the numerous challenges facing the country.

Abbas made the call at the inauguration of the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila Hall of Residence, University of Lagos.

According to him, collaboration should come handy in the area of education, which remains the bedrock of the development of any nation.

He noted that through such collaboration, legacies would be laid and generations to come would benefit and as well contribute their own quota.

“What we are witnessing here is not only commendable, but also the way to go. Hon. Gbajabiamila has through his work over time, has shown his commitment to the upliftment to the Nigerian people.

“As one of the longest serving lawmakers from the Southwest, he has remained a highflyer since inception. No lawmaker has been able to achieve the much he has done in the service of mankind.

“His tireless efforts and unwavering dedication has been the reason for attracting several projects such as this.

“I want to commend him for this giant stride and to call on other Nigerians to also come forward with ways of assisting government to ensure that the citizens are empowered in one way or the other,

“It is my prayer that the future generations too will be able to emulate his footsteps. The inauguration of this hall of residence represents a new era of

education and empowerment as it will witness the shaping of scientists and others in the near future, for the good of the country,” he stated.

Earlier in his address, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, immediate past Vice Chancellor of the university, recounted how the project came to be, during his watch in 2019.

According to him, it is no longer news that there are only about 8,000 bed spaces available for roughly 40,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

He said that the development had become a serious housing challenge to both the students and staff of the institution.

“We were also concerned about our global reputation and how attracting foreign students and scholars to the university could positively impact our international ranking.

“Myself and Prof. Ogunsola as the then Deputy Vice Chancellor Development Services and other management team decided to reach out to Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and alumnus of the University’s Faculty of Law.

“The Speaker kindly pledged to assist the university management in tackling this ongoing issue for the benefit of its students.

“The result is what we are seeing here today. It is crucial to emphasise that the hostel was one of the additional resources Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila gave the university,” he said.

Ogundipe said that Gbajabiamila, in the past, had set up hotspots and internet access at faculties and hostels so that students could use free Wi-Fi. Through a number of legislations intended to advance the university system.

“He was a key negotiator for the ASUU’s resumption at various times and helped arrange the Students Loan programme, which President Bola Tinubu’s Federal Government has since approved.

“On behalf of the university, I want to thank Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila for his kind intervention and for making this hostel a reality,” Ogundipe stated.

Also speaking the current vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, in her welcome address said that the current bed spaces in the institution were less than 10, 000, which had adversely impacted students’ experience.

She added that it had also affected the institution’s ability to expand globally and attract international students.

“This is compounded by the cost of accommodation outside the campus going as high as 800,000 per bed space. Also, this has led to the major culture of squatting in the university, such that we have levels of squatters; squatters 1st, floaters 2nd and hangers.

“It was clear that we needed more hostels and in the strategic plan, this space was designed for hostels.

“The former administration approached and appealed to Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, for his kind and urgent intervention.

“We are indeed very grateful that he graciously acceded to our call for provision of befitting hostel in University of Lagos,” she said.

The vice chancellor said with the completion of the project, students from different states of the federation, as well as from different countries and of different cultural backgrounds would find the facility to be ‘home away from home’.

She lauded the donor for his benevolence and commitment in the development of the Nigerian child and the country at large.

Responding, Gbajabiamila said that in many ways, his story also began from the institution, as he made friends who had continued to play important roles in his life.

He said that at the institution, he went from being a young man with ambition to one with plans, and remained very proud and incredibly fond of the university.

“Greatness is not easily attained. That UNILAG remains a venerable institution of higher learning, a citadel of innovation and incubation of grand ambitions is not accidental.

“It is the product of dedicated efforts by generation of teachers, administrators and partners in government and the private sector who recognise what this place is, who see clearly, what this place can be and have dedicated their careers, resources and expertise to the benefit of this university.

“This over 480-bed hall that we have gathered here to inaugurate to the benefit of this great institution and generation that will continue to pass through here adds to that long tapestry of joint and continuous efforts that has sustained this great institution and at the same time, honour the works of the visionaries who came before,” he stated.

He noted that part of the joint effort is to ensure that leaders provide a conducive environment for learning and collaboration where students were safe to be themselves and comfortable to think about big ideas, as well as find solutions to the many complex challenges of the modern age.

“So, it is beyond the building, it is beyond a place where you can lay your head. This hall of residence, because it represents a conducive atmosphere, is no longer a communal or sharing a bathroom and toilet.

“It gives you a peace of mind to stay on your own and study and understand why you are in school. I hope that years from now, some young students here will recount how they solved one global challenge or the other or recall the moment that they came upon the big ideas that inspired their success in business or academics, in science, politics and others,” he stated.

According to him, a facility team will be tasked with maintaining the building under the supervision and control of the university management.

Earlier, the project manager, Prof. Efe Ikponmwosa, said the hall of residence was all en-suite.

He noted that it was a block system comprising of a,b, c and d, with common rooms furnished with televisions, reading tables and chairs, ceiling fans, beds, mattresses, with comfortable spaces for students to think out of the box. (NAN)

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