OAU Alumnus Award: Honouring The Honourable Akin Ogunbiyi By Ibraheem Alli

Decadence in moral upbringing and education didn’t start today. It is a generational phenomenon. But despite the rot, many still strive, at least, to be an average graduate while few stood exceptional. Just now, I read the WhatsApp status of my younger brother, a first class engineering undergraduate student and what I read pushed me to come up with this write up “If you are loaded, you will be needed”

The Gbako born Akin Ogunbiyi was trained both informally and formally. The informal foundation endeared him to value formal education. He was not forced to school. Quality academic knowledge is a product of many stages-from family, primary, secondary and tertiary. These stages are ordinary should the children/wards perfunctory or indifferent to learning. This interest accounts for the reason committed students are encouraged by parents. Akin Ogunbiyi has interest in education and was motivated by his foundation. He is never an accidental graduate. Examinations are written and passed not on what you read a day to exam but on academic development from elementary stages.

Akin Ogunbiyi is a thorough-bred professional, entrepreneur per excellence and an astute business man, an Economist and Management consultant, is an alumnus of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), Lagos Business School (LBS), Nigeria, University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain and Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He also attended full courses on leadership at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, United Kingdom and Yale School of Management.

Last week, OAU bestowed Distinguished Alumnus Award on Ogunbiyi in recognition of his outstanding performance in contributing to national and international economy. The great Ife honoured the honourable Akin Ogunbiyi. Attaining such credit is a products of hard labour, commitment, focus and sacrifice. He was neither an accidental nor unmerited recipient. It was a credit well deserved. Ogunbiyi is not in the class of dishonourables. I can proudly say Ogunbiyi is an Arepo ponda. We are known for industrious, merit and very responsible.

The distinguished award was not only for Ogunbiyi but for every aspiring children/students. It is motivation to be focused, a message of hope for the reasonable students that, there is reward for excellence. No institution will celebrate failure. I appreciate Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife for setting standard for academic excellence. Their credence is a certificate that inspires many wards.

We set standard template to encourage children on focus and commitment to goals. We are honourables and always respect the path.

On this note, I enjoin well meaning people of Osun who value competency, integrity, mental capacity and wish the state be in a better hand to give Akinade Akanmu Ogunbiyi the benefit of doubt. He has the key, let us promote his aspiration for a better Osun State of our dream. Ogunbiyi is loaded, he is needed.