The Lagos State University, LASU, was a vision of the enigma of political Administration and governance in Yorubaland, the Governor Jakande an Awoist.
However, when all was ready, the military struck and LASU plan was thrown away with many good and costly projects that could have transformed Lagos State into the worthy status of a modern metropolis.
They included the modern:
- Waste incinerator that could also generate power and produce fertizer. It was 100 percent completed and situated at Oshodi.
- The Lagos Metro transport system that was 70% completed.
- Lagos State University that was 99.9% ready which had Afolabi Olumide appointed as it’s pioneer Vice-Chancellor, and many others.
Professor Olumide would not allow the LASU baby to die on arrival in his life. The international surgeon did the yeaoman’s job to retrieve LASU from the waste bins of the Military boys and within a short time, LASU was coined with Olumide’s slogan: Great LASUites.
LASU was model in everything right from it’s cradle. It was like a perishing Jewish lad, Moses retrieved from the Nile Waters and straight away into Royalty. We began to host Ambassadors one for each month. Everything about LASU was phenomenal, artistic and Eko for Special.
Olumide being a gigantic erudite scholar himself brought in the best calibre’s and timbers of academics from all over Nigeria.
Without moving words, each one of those professors was overqualified to be the Vice-Chancellor of any international Institution.
No wonder that Prof. Mrs. Jadesola Akande was a juggernaut that was the pioneer Dean of LASU Law. LASU’s fame skyrocketed as a young David versus the Goliath’s. It produced many First Class Graduates at the Law School from the very first set! LASU became an enigma. It was blaizing the trail in Sports, Chess, music and theatres was a weekly show. There was never a dull moment in the LASU Campus.
Within very first year of it’s inception, LASU signed international linkages with many foreign Universities including Austin-Peay University etc in the USA. LASU and such Institutions exchange staff and students.
Let’s bow to the great pioneer, builder, scholar, physician, poet, pianist and orator per excellence.
He would appear by himself to address any student agitation and if you allow Olumide to speak for two minutes each and every angered students would change their bitter mien into songs. As such, in order to prevent his oration, students would rant: “No toasting!…no toasting… No toasting…! Yet, Olumide would still calm their nerves and get them toasted with Excellent oration.
That is the Great Gentleman and enigma we just lost.
May his gentle soul Rest in peace.
– Lawyer Yemi O. Aanu
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