By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The prestigious University of Ife, which has since 1987 been renamed Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in honour of late former Premier of Western Region, Chief Jeremaiah Obafemi Awolowo, will Saturday 4 December, 2021 honour 60 former students to celebrate its 60 years of establishment.
Mr. Femi Adesina, leading firebrand of the Nigeria Presidential Media Office and known apostle of bomb-journalism, is graciously one of the 60 to be so honoured. He is a former President, Nigeria Guild of Editors currently Special Adviser to President of Nigeria on Media and Publicity.
Femi Adesina after graduation from OAU over three decades ago.
Announcing this via his verified Facebook social media timeline, on Friday, Mr. Adesina, an Ipetumodu, Osun State-born former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of the Sun Newspapers Limited, said he is “glad to be in the number”.
“On Saturday, December 4, 2021, the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, will honour 60 graduates of the institution, to mark the 60th Anniversary of the great citadel of learning.
“Glad to get a personal letter from the 11th Vice Chancellor, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede, informing me that I am one of the 60 to be honored with the Distinguished Great Ife Alumnus Award,” he posted.
What should have warranted a surprise for the quintessential journalism leader in being honoured by such a “fantastic” institution of learning remains an illusion to his fans, who have asked: “Is he not deserving of more? Why is he surprised?” Some of his fans, commending on the post, had told The DEFENDER.
Mr. Femi Adesina, in his post had acted as if to ask (why me?) when he asked himself a question and still became the provider of answer to same question, saying, “Who, me? Yes, me o. Common, simple, ordinary me, being invested with such award of honor.”
He, however, quickly came to term with reality that pleased his fans with what followed.
“All praise and thanks to our God who has considered me worthy. I am in the number saved by grace. I am also in the number being honored by Great Ife, an institution I graduated from 35 years ago. It can only be God.
“Great Ife, as our university is popularly called, is a leading institution of higher learning, research, and training in Africa. I am proud to belong to the only Great Ife in the universe. Any other one is a counterfeit.
“G-R-E-A-T-T-T-T” Femi Adesina said.
