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For Saraki So Loved Unilorin By Bagbansoro Uthman

For Saraki So Loved Unilorin By Bagbansoro Uthman

The danger of writing a tribute to or an article about any high profile personality or a politician in Nigeria today, particularly as we approach the 2023 general elections is obvious: the writer runs the risk of being misrepresented as a political praise singer or at times, time and tide can cast him as a bootlicker, especially if the subject of his adulation has a controversial posture like mine.

Since gratitude is to life; what salt is to food; I must start by saying this piece is not to seek relevance nor endorse my subject: Abubakar Bukola Saraki, a former President of the Nigerian Senate for the highly coveted office he has declared for. It’s just to appreciate what he has consistently done for my Alma mater through his foundation.

My Alma mater, the by far the best, the better by far the University of Ilorin instilled in us the principles that character and not academic excellence makes the child and the Yorubas say “Yini Yini ki eni lese me” which is loosely translated as appreciating someone is a way to seek for more. These postulations further justified my reasons for writing this tribute.

In 2018, I was the Chief Whip of the Unilorin Students’ Union Senate Council which makes me privy to some pieces of information that would not ordinarily make it to the public domain except for the “Powers that be” (apology to Azeez Mujeeb CJSU). One of that information was that the then-Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and some others sponsored the maiden edition of the Unilorin Students Union Empowerment Programme through the office of the Vice President, AbdulRazaq Kaothar Adeyi, now SSA on Youths Engagement to the Kwara State Governor.

Due to the political mood of the time and not posturing the Union and the University by extension as a partisan community, the Union kept mute about the sponsors, an act which irked Saraki’s associates and followers in the state.

Later I learned that the empowerment in 2018 wasn’t the first of Saraki’s intervention in Unilorin.

One of the past Presidents of our Union, Yakub Ishowo in an article titled “Thank You Bukola Saraki”, narrated how the former Senate President facilitated two boreholes for students staying in the school hostel during his tenure in office.

Ishowo, according to his article testified that the two boreholes have remained the only source of water for my Alma mater to date. I joined Ishowo to say thank you!

On the 12th of January 2022, Saraki struck again, like the coup generals, this time sponsoring wholly the Students’ Union Empowerment Programme through his foundation, he wasn’t even present to make it look political but rather sent his foundation DG to present the tools and he delivered his goodwill messages via zoom.

He empowered the students with laptops for graphics designing & programming; Sewing machines for tailors and Face beat equipment etc. I have so many people that benefitted and I know how grateful they were for creating a path to financial independence.

When a rich man asked Jesus Christ how to get to the Kingdom of God, he was told to sell his possessions, contribute the proceeds to the needy, follow Jesus and his basic needs would be taken care of and his soul would be accepted in heaven.

For Christians; the meaning of Joy is to put Jesus first, others second, yourself last. Saraki has exemplified the rich man and has put joy in the student’s hearts.

For so many alumni, like Yakub Ishowo, we thank you Bukola Saraki, we cannot but wish him well in his future political endeavors and subsequent intervention in our Alma mater!

Bagbansoro Uthman Olamilekan
Twitter: @The_Bagbansoro
[email protected]

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