During an entrepreneurship event organized by First Bank within the just concluded weekend, the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife, Vice Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, made clarification as regards the University’s plan to build an airport.
Few days ago it was rumoured that the Vice Chancellor released a statement that the University was planing to set up her own airport, however this didn’t go down well with the students, this is because they had harboured the notion that the fund reportedly allocated for their welfare will be diverted to finance the airport project.
According to the Vice Chancellor; “Very recently, we said that the University was going to have her own airstrip and then I understand that some students were going round the halls of residence saying that it is the money for their welfare that is going to be used to build airport in the university.”
“It was very amusing that we still have some of our students thinking like that. If you have a question on anything, you ask. You don’t go around saying things that are not possible,” he said.
He further explained that the University management only renewed a 30-year-old agreement they had with some West African Counties. In his words; “Over 30 years ago, this University established a regional center for Aerial training and surface, part of that program was to have aerial strip for the training and others. And 9 governments from West Africa signed an agreement to say that they are supporting that aerial strip in Obafemi Awolowo University. So what we were doing was to renew that and we have spoken with them and they have agreed. And we also have the land to be able to do that, so we are not doing anything that is not possible.”
