Speaker of the House of Representatives, National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tajuddin Abbas, has inaugurated a campus of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) in Surulelre, Lagos, with the Chief of Staff to the president, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Peters and many other distinguished personalities in attendance.
The event, which was held on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 in Lagos, was part of projects executed by the immediate-past Surulere House of Representative member and now the Chief of Staff to the president as part of his constituency projects.
In his address, the speaker extolled Hon. Gbajabiamila's initiatives and support towards his constituents, expressing his “immense pride and profoundness” in commissioning the NOUN campus in Surulere.
“This momentous occasion maximizes the choice of a new educational facility by the dawn of a new era of accessibility, opportunity and empowerment towards the education of the people in this constituency and beyond.
"I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President for the invitation to show us the oneness of success to the people of this very constituent," he said.
Hon. Abbas recalled the pivotal role played by Gbajabiamila in securing funding and support for several projects, including schools and hospitals.
On his part, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, urged the stakeholders of the facility to fully utilise and make good use of it.
Sununu advised Nigerians that there is no short-cut to getting knowledge, even as he appreciated the understanding of Nigerians following the ministry’s recent circular stopping the accreditation of institutions from Benin and Togo.
Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Olufemi Peters, in his welcome address, expressed his “utmost pleasure” to witness the commissioning of NOUN’s newest study centre in Nigeria.
“I wish to start by expressing my profound appreciation for the driving force behind the establishment of this befitting facility, the Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, CFR, Chief of Staff to the President.
“Rt. Honourable Sir, on behalf of the Senate, Management, Staff and students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), we are immensely grateful for the donation of the centre to our university," he said.
Peters, while recalling previous supports, noted that "this is not the first time 'Gbaja' has generously supported the National Open University of Nigeria. Just recently, he spearheaded the renovation of our 6-story study centre at McCarthy Street, Obalende, also here in Lagos, transforming it into an IT-enabled centre. This, in addition to several other projects, is a testament to his continuous commitment and support to our institution."
The Vice-Chancellor used the occasion to request support in procuring two operational vehicles, alongside a 100KVA generator, and support transformer to manage the power consumption needed for operational efficiency at the study centre.
The activities climaxed with the speaker cutting the ribbon to unveil the facility, as the guests were toured into offices, ICT rooms, laboratories, where some systems were test-run with satisfaction.
At the end of the event, the VC presented souvenirs to his guests.
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