Ogun Agric Commissioner, Odedina Bags Centenary Alumnus Award

The Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, on Thursday conferred with the award of distinguished Centenary Alumnus of the Federal College of Agricultural Technology, Moor Plantation, Ibadan. 

The Award ceremony which  was part of the weeklong event to mark the centenary celebration of the foremost  institution which is the first Agricultural institution  in Nigeria and by extension,  West Africa was conferred on two other distinguished alumnus, Prof. Shola Daramola and Mr. Zakare Abubakar,.

The Provost of the Institution, Dr.(Mrs) Elizabeth Augustus while given the rationale for the recognition, said the award was for their outstanding contributions to the development of Agricultural sector in the country.

She added that the awardees have distinguished themselves in different fields of endeavours and as a result deserve to be appreciated and awarded for their services to humanity.

“These individuals have been carefully selected as recipients of our awards today. They have exceptionally distinguished themselves in various endeavours of life and we deemed  it fit to appreciate and award them for services to humanity, especially through agriculture”

“Your outstanding  contributions to the development of the Agricultural  sector stands you out for this award and the College is particularly proud of your exploits.Your dedicated service to the nation and humanity in general is an inspiration to the younger generation”, she   said.

She went down memory lane on the establishment of the Federal Collage of Agriculture, Moore Plantation,Ibadan ” The history of the College is intricately woven with the inception of Moor Plantation,  the location named after Sir Ralph Moor, British High Commissioner in Nigeria. The Moor Plantation was the location for the establishment of a Model Rubber Farm in 1899″.

In his words, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, represented by the Zonal Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Omolara Oguntuyi, congratulated the graduating students and charged them never to be afraid of rising to the top, urging them to add new skills to whatever they have been taught at the institution.

According to the Minister, if there is any area that the country is ripe for Enterpreneurial develolmemt ,it is the Agricultural  sector, saying Agricultural pratice that will transform the society must have a global outlook.

Responding, after receiving the Award, Dr. Odedina said after “It is a great honour to be recognised from the institution where I schooled ,served, worked and served as Provost, because I later became the Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture,  Akure which has a symbiotic relationship with this institution. I can safely say that I dedicate all my life to this institution”

 

He stated further “it is the beginning  of new relationship with the Federal  College of Agriculture, Moor Plantation, Ibadan because, one good turn deserves another”. 

To his colleagues and the graduands,he said ” I want to urge my colleagues and the graduands to take a cue and strive to see to it that whatever they find themselves doing, they do it well, because what is worth doing is worth doing well”