By ABEL JOHNGOLD ORHERUATA, mnipr
Ibadan, Nigeria — June 12, 2025
In a bid to foster unity and deepen institutional wisdom within the University of Ibadan Alumni Association (UIAA), the Worldwide President, Dr. Terrumun Hembaor Gajir, on Thursday led members of the Worldwide Executive Council to pay a courtesy visit to former UIAA Worldwide President, Hon. Chief Dr. Folashade Ogunlade, at her residence in the GRA, Ibadan.
Describing the visit as a “homecoming to the roots of wisdom and experience,” Dr. Gajir said the purpose was twofold — to seek counsel from one of the Association’s most distinguished elders and to brief her on the state of the UIAA.
“Many of the challenges we face today stem from individual self-centeredness and constitutional breaches by some branches and chapters,” Gajir noted. “We need the voices and influence of our past Presidents to guide the present. The younger UItes still have a lot to learn from leaders like you.”
He commended Chief Ogunlade for her instrumental role in nurturing the UIAA to its current stature and prayed for her continued good health and long life in service to the Association and the nation.
In her warm and spirited response, Hon. Chief Dr. Folashade Ogunlade reaffirmed her enduring commitment to the Alumni Association, saying, “Once a UIte, always a UIte.” She reflected on her years of sacrifice, service, and cross-country engagements during her tenure, adding that building the Alumni body was always about giving one’s best.
She also paid glowing tribute to former Worldwide President, Prof. Kemi Emina, whom she credited with modernizing the Association and institutionalizing key structures. “Prof. Emina did so much for the UIAA. Others must rise to sustain the pace he set,” she said.
In the same breath, she remembered the legacies of two other UI giants — the late Gamaliel Onosode, whose innovative ideas left a lasting impact on the University, and Prof. Obaro Ikime, the UIAA’s first Worldwide Secretary under the leadership of Chief Bola Ige.
Chief Ogunlade encouraged the current leadership to continue engaging key stakeholders and maintain the high standards of excellence that the University of Ibadan is known for across Africa. “UI has produced some of the best and brightest minds on the continent. We must keep that legacy intact,” she charged.
Despite her age, she promised to become more active in Alumni affairs, going beyond her current role on the College of Past Presidents. She also urged the Executive Council to tie National Executive Council (NEC) meetings to key events to boost alumni participation across the board.
The meeting ended with prayers for the continuous growth, unity, and progress of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association.