History beckons as University of Fortune launches out.
By Steve Ovirih.
A journey of thousand miles, the saying goes, begins one step at a time. This witty saying fits aptly the journey of Fortune University , Igbotako in Ondo South Senatorial district. It goes to motive that painstaking effort and arithmetic precision have been the hallmark of the university and this is no surprise because the founder and proprietor of the university, Senator, Dr. Jimoh Folorunso Ibrahim is not known for half measures and gives his all to any concept that his giant size intuition chooses to give a life to.
It will be recalled that Distinguished Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, the eloquent international parliamentarian represents Ondo South in The Senate of The Federal Republic of Nigeria; a senator of example much loved for his enviable inputs at The Red Chamber and his engaging oversight functions at the International Parliamentary Union among others.
When the foundation laying of the university was effected, a huge turn out of men of means in the Nigerian political, business and social class thronged the university site as it then was at Senator Jimoh Ibrahim’s country home,Igbotako as Governor Oluwaritimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN ( heaven rest his soul) and the former Secretary Government of the federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal took turn to serenade the salutary effort of Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, ‘the mega project expert’ in deeming it fit to dare to dream of a sustainable mega project in the making of the now ‘stand out’ global standard University of Fortune.
At a time in the course of sprouting up of the diverse architectural masterpieces strewn across University of Fortune, Igbotako, a lot of observers had wondered “what is Jimoh Ibrahim up to? These edifices are already enough to start a university!” But deep down, Senator Ibrahim does not manage and doesn’t spare no expense when it comes to ‘giving back to the society.’ He is a dreamer of standards who feels a template of global reckoning such as those of his alma mater in Europe and America where he bagged his multiple Masters and Doctorate degrees is not just possible but doable in Nigeria.
And eventually, National University Commission, NUC, did not waste time in granting the university operational license following an accreditation process that entered officially University of Fortune ,Igbotako into the list of virile and topnotch universities in Nigeria,nay
Africa.
It was no surprise then that students of the Department of History, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile -Ife, Osun State deemed it appropriate to embark on ‘pilgrimage of academic search ‘ to University of Fortune to see for themselves the deep thinking effort of an alumnus of same Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU and founder of University of Fortune.
A walk round the university reflects aesthetics of the rarest kind and shows the desire of the founder to gift his community an ivory tower legacy that will put the community on the global map of relevance. Understandably , there is more to come from Senator Jimoh Ibrahim ‘s brain child, University of Fortune in terms of academic curriculum and degree programmes as well as the quality of academics who will be delivering academic discourses across disciplines.