The slogan from the very beginning was that the University of Ilorin was an experiment in the making of a university. How much and how far the enthusiasm of the pioneering students and staff, whose ambitious hope for a top-ranking citadel of learning would take them was left for the future.
But there was no doubt that the zeal was consuming. From the very first day when the seed of the acorn that would sprout to become the great oak was sown, it was apparent that the success story for the future was already being written. A story of camaraderie amidst serious ambition.
Now, 45 years after, the story is ready for a rehash. From the then Assistant Registrar, Alhaji M.T. Balogun, who, as Students Affairs Officer settled the first 200 foundation students into their hostels, to the lecturers, who sang their song of consuming experiment into the students ears, “amidst loads of sands, stones and tall grasses, right there at the Mini Campus” (as was revealed at this interview), and even to the students, whose amazing blend of scholarship and matured social life put the shine on the image of the budding university, they were stories that tell of the fact that the university was destined for greatness.
But there was also the story of the amiable Students Union President, David Olufemi Durosaro. His was a story of a man who came in search of scholarship and honour and got more in the bargain. In fact, it is a story of two pioneering students who successfully combined learning with a bit of lovey-dovey affair. As the years went by, the relationship blossomed into maturity and consummation of marriage. The very head of the institution, Professor O.O Akinkugbe, who took them in as students, also chaired their wedding ceremony. Gbolahan Balogun, here speaks with Professor David Olufemi Durosaro, one of the pioneer students of the university. You will also read the unique story of his wedding with his classmate.
We want you to share your experience with us. You were there the very first day, one of the first 200 students in-take to the university. How was it in the beginning?
Well, the students came into residence at the University of Ilorin in 1976. I happened to be one of the 200 with which the university was started. We came in, very few, just 200 students. The social climate was very good. The administration established very good rapport with us. Before we arrived, both the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar were already there waiting to receive us. In fact those who came very early in the morning that day, particularly ladies had a real swell time.
That was in September 1976, at the present Mini Campus site, where students accommodation was. The university actually actually started from town, at then site being currently used as Nursery and Primary School in Sabo-Oke. But the students resumed right into the Mini Campus. Even though we could see that they were trying to put things together then, the university was just starting from the scratch, but we were so much amazed by how the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar, accompanied by the Students Affairs Officer, Mr. M.T. Balogun, who eventually became the Registrar, came into the hostel to usher us in. They were very receptive. They took very good care of us. They ensured that we were comfortably housed. Even though the hostels were not completely set, but we students too, seeing all these principal officers around, we felt so enthusiastic, to the extent that we were even carrying the beds and the mattresses ourselves and setting the rooms. We knew it was a challenge for us all. We saw the way the administration took up the challenge, so we students quickly fell into line and we also took it up as a challenge. In fact the slogan then was that the University of Ilorin was an experiment in making a university. They sang it into our ears and we bought it.
On the day we were to resume studies, all the Deans were ready. In fact, they organised a welcome party for us and they took us round the then faculty sites. All these were amidst loads of sands, stones and tall grasses right there at the Mini Campus. We were sandwiched between the classrooms and the contractors rubbles, trying to put up structure. Yet we all had unity of purpose. We all had a sincerity of purpose, and we all went into action and there was a good blend of the enthusiasm shown by the administration and lecturers and that reflected on the students, and the university took off happily. We were committed to its success.
It doesn’t seem you’re from the university’s host town, but you’ve made Ilorin your second home since then. How didi you come to becoming a foundation student in the first place?
Thank you very much. I’m a native of Ibadan. In fact, I am from a chieftaincy family in Ibadan. The family that now produces the Otun-Olubadan of Ibadan. I got to know about the University of Ilorin through a cousin of mine, one Mr. G.A.O. Ayoade. He was a pioneer administrative staff of this university. He was the one who came directly with Professor O.O. Akinkugbe, who was the founding Principal of the University College, Ilorin. He happened to have been working at Ibadan. In actual fact, I applied for admission to Ibadan. But when he saw me at Ibadan, he told me that, “ah, we have a new university in Ilorin. In fact, I work there. If you’re interested, apply” so, I travelled down, obtained the form and I processed it. As God wished it. I was admitted.
I was offered Educational Management. I was enthusiastic about studying anything management because I felt proud being a manager. So, I pursued it vigorously, and the day I got the letter of Admission to read Educational Management, I felt so excited that I was counting the calender, looking forward to the very day they would ask us to resume. That day, I was among the very few that reported on campus.
You’ve seen it all in all the years. If you look back to those days, do you have a feeling of nostalgia, and again, what is your perception of things now, vis-a-vis, the curriculum, management, development and the general situation of things?
Well, there is one thing I want to make clear. The University of Ilorin is a second generation university. But by the grace of God, the rate at which it had grown, it had overtaken some first generation of Nigeria universities. We are now in forefront, there is no doubt that each university has its own problem because of the current economy crisis in the country. We have cutbacks in educational expenditure and this has led to crisis of shortage of almost everything, except students. Facilities are short, funds, not adequately supplied, so there bound to be other socioeconomic problems that would accompany these shortages. Unilorin is not an exception.
It is a pity that some people, due to their political, sinister motives want to over-blow some of the problems in Ilorin out of proportion. It is all farce. University of Ilorin, by any standard, is a first-among-equals. In terms of the calibre of manpower that it is producing, it is a university that this nation can rely on. In fact, it is a centre of excellence. Going by our motto, we operate strictly on probity and scholarship. And I can say this with all the confidence in the world that the university of Ilorin has been in the forefront. Our products have gone to places. The currents students too, are making their marks, comparably with other students from other institutions. They are not doing badly. In fact, we are proud of them.
If we go back to your old slogan that the University of Ilorin was an experiment in the making of a university, there is no doubt that you are a testimony to the strides the university has made over the years. Now, let’s go back to your old schoolmates. Are they as distinguished as you?
Because Unilorin has produced such a large number of people, we have the problem of tracking. In fact, the alumni association has commissioned a tracer-studies to find out about our products, our members and trace their development; their growth in their places of work.
But as a pioneer, on my own, I still have links with some of my own mates and even have friends who graduated after me. And we have quite a good number of them in high places. Among those that quickly come to mind among my mates is the first Education Officer for the entire Nigeria Police Force. He is Mr. John Morenikeji. He rose so high in the Police Force. We also have so many of us in the academics, private businesses, and in virtually all professions all doing very well, carrying the flag of this institution. Our products today abound in all facets of Nigeria’s work-life and its economy.
We have a very illustrious son, Professor Ishaq Oloyede. You know him very well. He currently heads JAMB after lifting this university to enviable heights. There are several others, who are honourables, Commissioners in States and so on.
Let’s share some unique experiences of those days. Those palatable and unpalatable experiences.
Well, we had quite a lot of unique experiences. The first that I will recall and which was personal to me, was the then Alli-must-Go-Crisis, that we had to take part in. It was in 1978. a nation-wide students protest against hike in school fees imposed then by the government during the tenure of the then Colonel Mohammed Alli as the Federal Commissioner for Education. The students in the entire federation decided to go on protest against that increase. The University of Ilorin was not left out. I was then the President of the students Union and we also took active part.
Yes. The university was just two years old. But we maintained a very good culture which I am still very happy it is being kept, even as at today, and that is the culture of non-violence. We made our mark. The public knew that we were objecting to the increase in fees. We went on demonstration, peaceful protest round the town. But we made sure that we did not throw a single stone.
We did not use any abusive or offensive language. We were merely chanting songs to wake our spirit and call the attention of the public to the fact that increase in school fees was not good for us nor for the public.
As the President of the Students Union, I was right in the fore front. I made sure, before we left the campus I addressed the entire students body. I pleaded with them that we were not at war with anybody, we were only trying to protest hike in fees and we would do this very peacefully and constitutionally. We would just move round the town with placards, sing songs, showing our annoyance about the increase. We would not abuse government, nor anybody. We would go round the town and come back to the campus peacefully, and that anyone who violate this, we would personally hand-over such person to the police. And the students cooperated.
I was happy that as at the time the crisis ended, even though it was a catastrophe across the country- we had shootings in some universities, soldiers killing people, we did not lose a single soul. And after the crisis, while several universities were busy nursing wounds, repairing breakages, we resumed and quickly completed our session for that year without any hitch. I pleaded with the union then that we should maintain that culture and I am happy that up till today, we have a culture of non-violence among the University of Ilorin students.
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