Speaking during the official Commissioning, Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, noted that the facility was a significant contribution to the state, adding that it will further strengthen the school which is one of its foremost Tertiary Institutions.
According to her; with the Rotary peace Institute, Olabisi Onabanjo University now has another significant facility that can support dialogue, conflict prevention, mediation, civic education and community development, expanding it's frontiers beyond Conventional teaching to leadership development.
She informed that Rotary has continued to be great partners in progress with the Ogun state government, listing it's contribution to include health sector intervention, community empowerment as well as peace building, describing all these projects as people centered and deeply rooted in the idea of service.
The Deputy Governor who also said the project was particularly meaningful, considering Ogun was a gateway and border state as well as the nations industrial hub, implored graduands of Cohorts 3&4 of the institute to translate the knowledge gained into action by being ambassadors of peace, dialogue and constructive problem solving.
While praising the Rotary District 9111, led by it's Governor Rotarian Prince Henry Akinyele, for this commendable feat in the state, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, informed that the Government of Ogun State will continue to welcome partnerships that strengthen education, promote peace, support health and improve the lives of the people.
Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Abosede Oderinde, appreciated Rotary for donating the study centre, plus its willingness to also pay the tutors honorariums monthly, explaining that the gesture was an act of educational philanthropic which would help raise a generation trained in conflict mediation and prevention while assuring rotary that the edifice will be judiciously used and maintained for it purpose.
Earlier in his remarks, the Rotary District Governor 9111, Prince Henry Akinyele, said the peace institute which was the initiative of the immediate past governors of District 9111 was meant to train students in promoting peace, mediation, engagement of communities through peaceful dialogue, prevention of conflicts through education, adding that rotary was committed to community services and promoting education via its programmes.
Highlight of the programme was official Commissioning of the building housing the Institute and award to the Deputy Governor for her continued support alongside the presentation of certificates to the first set of participants of the 3 months programme of the peace institute.
