- Association to donate N10m law books to AAU
The 1987 Law Class of the Bendel State University (BENSU), now Ambrose Alli University (AAU), is set to donate law books worth over N10 million to the Faculty of Law of AAU.
President of the BENSU Law Class of ’87, Mr. Sylva Ogwemoh (SAN), said this during the Class Reunion held in Lagos.
The reunion theme was: “Developing Alumni Connections: Challenges and Prospects.”
Special guest of honour at the occasion was the immediate-past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba.
The three-day event, which began with a cocktail on August 3, 2023, included a class meeting, health talk and a dinner.
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Mr. Ogwemoh paid tribute to the late Ambrose Folorunsho Alli, a professor of morbid anatomy and the first governor of Old Bendel State (now Edo State) who established the university.
The SAN stated that the major aim of the association is to improve the welfare of members and support AAU, particularly the Faculty of Law of the university in areas of need.
He said the Class of ’87 boasts of an array of judges, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, a professor of law, magistrates, directors in public service, seasoned politicians and successful businessmen and women.
“In my view, our coming together as a class association should provide us the opp ortunity to help one other in areas of need,” Ogwemoh said.
He also stated that it was important for the BENSU Law Class of ’87 to act as a united body that will ultimately assist the university in re-engaging its diverse alumni for academic and infrastructural development in the institution.
Agba: alumni associations key to nation-building
Prince Agba said alumni associations can play a critical role in nation-building.
He said they can do this by contributing to the country’s educational advancement through their alma mater.
Agba, a member of the first graduate class of BENSU, stressed that building great educational institutions begins with successful alumni organisations that have entrenched connections.
He said: “Alumni associations in Nigeria should, therefore, participate actively in the development of their various institutions like their counterparts in developed countries by looking beyond providing infrastructure to looking into the administration and academic situation of our universities to know truly if we are producing the right kind of students for the society.
“This is because the real challenges of university education and development can only be properly addressed with the involvement and contributions of those who passed through its four walls and are interested in the progress and further development of the institution.
“It behoves alumni associations to ensure that the connections they have built over the years translate into tangible benefits to their institutions of training.”
Agba believes that the existence of an academic institution in the modern sense depends largely on the commitment and carriage of its alumni.
“This is because the acquisition of knowledge and tradition and the engagement in scholarship is only appreciated through a continuous display of academic traditions and self-pride in their belief system in sustaining the values of their self-discovery and self-consciousness,” he said.
He noted that beyond donations, alumni associations can volunteer for activities in the institutions, carry out speaking engagements, engage in mentoring and take an active interest in the institution’s administration.
“It is, therefore, important to promote regular interactions among institutional staff, students, and alumni, thereby creating a sense of inclusivity.
“Such interactions also go a long way in ensuring that the institution’s outreach stays on point and relevant,” Agba said.
Agba, who said BENSU was established upon the foundational base of selfless and visionary leadership, firm and rugged determination, and service-oriented political leadership, called the alumni to action.
“We should challenge ourselves on the preservation of the above values. We can set and attain individual standards and goals for ourselves.
“We can also set and seek to attain goals and standards for our people, our communities or our societies,” the former minister added.