Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki of Edo State, last weekend commissioned the newly constructed girls hostel at the main campus of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Ugbowo in Benin City, with a call for more private sector participation in tertiary schools through philanthropic gestures and endowments.
The 80 rooms girls hostel building named after Senator Daisy Ehanire-Danjuma, was gifted the authority of UNIBEN by Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, a former Minister of Defence.
In his speech before commissioning the female hostel, Governor Obaseki, commended the donor (T.Y. Danjuma) for his humanitarian gesture aimed towards uplifting the accommodation needs of the female students in the institution.
“This gesture is as impressive as it’s exemplary because over the last few years he (Danjuma) has vehemently made a case for a shift in the way the nation’s tertiary institutions are ran.
“I want to use the opportunity to call on all individuals and organizations and governments to continue to support tertiary institutions in the areas of infrastructure and also funding research and development initiatives so that our higher institutions can favourably compete with their peers across the globe.
“Donations such as these are the only key source of improving the infrastructure that will enhance the learning environment and lift the burden from the government”, the governor stated.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Lilian Salami, who described the building as a 5-star hostel, expressed delight at the high quality work done in the building which she noted was second to none.
She recalled that the construction of the girls hostel came as a result of the honorary causa award the institution gave to Gen. Danjuma, few years ago.
Prof. Salami, disclosed that in appreciation of the honorary award, Gen. Danjuma who had lamented that universities are always in need of one thing or the other, promptly demanded from her to know what he could do for the school.
“And straight away, I told him that the school, with a population of about 60,000 students, can only accommodate 10,000, and therefore was in dire need of halls of residence for the students.
“Gen. T.Y Danjuma is a wonderful man. You meet him and you wonder if this is the same general that we are frightened to see. He’s very simple and humble”, saying that like a dream come true, the project was built in a record time and delivered to the school.
But turning to the wife of the retired Army General, Senator Daisy Ehanire-Danjuma, who represented her husband at the hostel commissioning ceremony, the Vice Chancellor described the Danjuma family as a wonderful giver, adding that “Givers never lack. The reason why they always progress in that family.”
She however advised those to benefit from the hostel accommodation to imbibe high level maintenance culture, noting that “to whom much is given, much is also expected. Strive seriously to leave a legacy of not destroying what we have got.”
Also Speaking, wife of the donor, Senator Daisy Ehanire-Danjuma, who was highly elated for the timely fulfilment of the promise made to UNIBEN, justified the donation of the school hostel to the female students.
“The question is why is it just for girls? How many women are vice chancellors in Nigeria? Do we have a female senator again in Edo State? How many women are in the National Assembly?
“I’ve been offered honorary doctorate degrees from several universities which I turned down but accepted that of UNIBEN when Prof. Osayuki Oshodin offered me because I am a Benin and from Edo State. For offering me a free doctorate degree I didn’t work for, you (UNIBEN) deserved all that you have here.”
She announced the donation of another hostel building for the female students of UNIBEN, assuring that the proposed project would be completed before the end of this year.
High point of the ceremony attended by a cream of the society, including the secretary to Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, Esq, was the laying of the foundation stone of the second hostel pledged by Senator Dr Daisy Ehanire-Danjuma. The groundbreaking was performed by the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.
About Author
