Billionaire businessman and
Chairman of Forte Oil, Femi Otedola, has donated a multimillion-naira complex
to the Augustine University’s engineering faculty.
This was made known
yesterday at a sod-turning ceremony to mark the first day of construction for
the university’s faculty of engineering’s complex in Epe, Lagos State.
On hand for the occasion
were the Proprietor of the institution and the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos,
Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins; Otedola’s octogenarian mother, Lady Doja Otedola;
the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the university, Sir Steve Omojafor;
the Vice-Chancellor of Augustine University, Prof. Steve Afolami; a member of
the fundraising committee, Chief Sena Anthony, among other dignitaries.
They all commended Otedola
and his family for the financial assistance and otherwise they had rendered to
the university from its conception to date.
Speaking during the event,
Otedola said, like his father, he was passionate about education and
development of the country.
“My father was very
passionate about a university being built in Epe because he was very passionate
about education. Rather than spend my money on building more houses or buying a
jet for myself, I decided to spend the money to support this laudable cause by
the Lagos Catholic archdiocese through the Augustine University,” the oil
magnate told journalists.
Speaking about the
importance of the building, Martins noted: “With this engineering faculty,
we’re delighted that it’s taking off because it is one area that we think with
the kind of technological development that Nigeria needs we can begin to find
the realisation within that faculty – that’s not to say that the arts and the
social sciences are not making contributions. We have had those contributions
for many years. We are truly delighted that we have this beginning.”
He recounted how he was
encouraged by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to donate towards the
completion of the Ecumenical Centre in Abuja and the former president’s
rejection of his desire to make a private donation.
“I went to his office; he
had arranged for a press briefing and I said, ‘Please, let’s make this a
private affair.’ But he insisted that he needed to make this public so that
when the Dangotes and the Adenugas saw me contribute towards the building of
the church they also would be encouraged to make similar donations.
“So, it is with this
project – I want all my friends to know – because the hand of God is in it. It
is a worthy cause. My mother persistently encouraged me to support the
Augustine University project. Subsequently, I decided to build an engineering
faculty for the university – which would be my home – for the glory of God. I
can assure you that this project will be completed in good time,” Otedola
explained.
The university which began
operation in 2015, is already running at least eight courses subscribed to by 200
students up to 400-level.
Expressing their delight
regarding the donation by Otedola, Afolami, Omojafor and Anthony stated that
the business mogul had once again set a fine example for other philanthropists.
Sharing their sentiments,
the billionaire’s mother, Lady Otedola, stated: “I think I’m the happiest
person today and I’m sure I’ll always be happy. It is always on record that
this Augustine University was meant to be built at Odo-Ragunsin. Sometime in
1994 my late husband, Sir Michael Otedola, was approached to make financial
donation to them. He was able to help get this large parcel of land for the
university through the supports of the then-Alara of blessed memory.
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