The Founder/Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola, has lavished praise on the First Lady of Ekiti State, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, for her contributions in teaching ABUAD students.
Ekiti News reports that on Monday, the wife of the Governor, a distinguished university scholar and educationist, fulfilled her pledge to teach the students of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), as part of her community service during her tenure as First Lady.
Dr. Oyebanji’s gesture garnered praise from Aare Afe Babalola, who expressed gratitude for having the First Lady as a Visiting Lecturer at his university. He commended her for stepping out of her comfort zone to engage with students in the classroom.
Welcoming the First Lady into his office after her lecture with the students, Aare Afe Babalola described her gesture as historic. He noted that her willingness to humble herself and teach, despite her esteemed position, was symbolic and commendable.
He said: “We are happy to have you around. You are the first governor’s wife to teach in the university while in office. This is the first time in my ‘short life’ when the number one lady, the governor’s wife, would take a step to come and teach in our university.
“This university is blessed. This university is honoured to be the recipient of this great gesture. We are blessed, and we appreciate what you have done. You will continue to rise in whatever you do.”
Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, the Vice Chancellor, said Dr. Oyebanji, by her action, has made a great impact not only in the university but in the education sector and the state at large.
The Vice Chancellor said: “We are happy to have you teach in one of our old colleges, College of Social and Management Sciences, and we hope to have you back soonest.
“This shows how sincere the Governor and his beautiful First Lady are, in developing Ekiti State, and that starts with education. Our First Lady is here to ensure that she contributes her input, and we are grateful and very honoured for this as a university.”
The First Lady of Ekiti State, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji said she was happy and fulfilled to carry out community service at ABUAD a few months after performing a similar gesture at Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti
Addressing the excited students who were happy to have her in their midst, Dr. Oyebanji said she came before them as a teacher ready to impart knowledge, broaden their intellectual horizon, and give them the needed mentorship in her capacity as a visiting lecturer.
The Ekiti First Lady explained that she has passion for teaching which she still dedicates time to do out of her busy schedule . She still goes to her place of work, the University of Ibadan to supervise her PhD students with a good number of them graduating under her tutelage.
The governor’s wife taught the course, titled Business Communication, with the course code, MAN 106 to the students of Accounting, Business Management, and Economics in the College of Social and Management Sciences.
The lecture lasted for over one hour.
The First Lady emphasized the importance of effective communication in the management of business enterprises, corporate worlds, and educational institutions.
She identified human resources as a key component of any business organization and further established a symbiotic relationship between decision-making and communication.
Dr. Oyebanji, in the course of interacting with the students, also urged them to cultivate the art of public speaking and also be ready to communicate and articulate their thoughts.
Speaking with reporters after the lecture, Dr. Oyebanji said she was happy to fulfill her promise to teach ABUAD students, which she made during a courtesy visit to the Aare Babalola some months ago commending the students for responding well to her lecture.
She said: “I made the promise sometime ago when I visited Baba Afe, and I am happy to be here. It’s part of my community service to the state. What I do practically in the office of the First Lady is community service, simply complementing what my husband is doing in office.
“As you know, I have been to EKSU; I taught in EKSU last session, and I am teaching again this session. Last session, they gave me a course and this session, I am having two courses.
“I also volunteered to come to this place (ABUAD) and teach students, and like you all know, university is universal. I am teaching them, whether it’s EKSU, whether it is ABUAD, they are all my students.”