A member of the House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Oyo State, Honourable Shina Peller, has called on the Alumni associations of various institutions of learning in the country to leverage on their potentiality, influence and exposure in contributing their quota towards revamping the nation’s educational sector.
Hon. Peller made this call on Sunday while speaking as a guest lecturer at the 2021 End of the Year Party of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Alumni Association, Oyo State Chapter, held at NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
The event, themed Positioning Nigerian Youth as Critical Stakeholders in Revamping the Educational Sector of the Nation: Alumni Associations as a case study, witnessed the presence of various graduating sets of LAUTECH including Hon. Peller’s 2002 set.
In his lecture, Hon. Peller observed that members of the Alumni associations are critical stakeholders of their various institutions who are key players in various sectors of the economy and whose influence, exposure and experience will be very useful in repositioning the nation’s educational sector for better.
He said, “Alumni associations are very special because their members come from various segments of the industry; and this makes them well-positioned to make positive changes in our degraded education sector. They are capable of drawing from different fields of knowledge to achieve the needed changes we need in our educational sector.”
Explaining some of the ways Alumni associations can help make positive impacts in the educational sector, Hon. Peller said, “Some members of alumni associations who are wealthy individuals can help put their financial resources together to fix the dilapidated infrastructures in their various alma mater.”
In addition, the federal legislator explained that members of alumni associations can establish scholarships, grants and endowments that will be greatly beneficial to students who have intellectual talents, but are financially handicapped. He made reference to the endowment fund he made available to the Chemical Engineering Department of LAUTECH for best graduating students, and urged others to follow suit.
In the same vein, Hon. Peller stated that alumni associations can also make positive impacts in the nation’s educational sector by mentoring the future alumni and equipping them with necessary skills.
He noted,
“Members of alumni associations can also help the students in the aspects of mentoring. Schools with strong alumni are in the position to deploy their members with necessary skills and experience to mentor young students and even teachers. Some of these interventions provide a fertile ground for students to excel even up to the level of getting foreign research opportunities and international consultancy.”
Hon. Peller seized the opportunity to intimate members of LAUTECH Alumni association of his intention to vie for the Oyo North Senatorial District seat in 2023.
He said,
“The benefit of having an alumnus of LAUTECH representing a senatorial district where the University resides can never be overemphasized. It is on that note that I feel very safe in the midst of my people to declare my intention to contest for Oyo North Senatorial District seat come 2023.”
In his remarks, the outgoing chairman of LAUTECH Alumni Association, Oyo State Chapter, Mr. Akeem Kareem, appreciated Hon. Peller for identifying with the association and for delivering a very thoughtful and research-oriented lecture on the subject matter.
