AKOL dedicates Award to Oyetola, charges students to imbibe entrepreneurial spirit

A Cabinet member-designate in the State of Osun and Candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC in the last general elections, Dr. Olasiji Olamiju - AKOL says he has dedicated his award of excellence from the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigerian Students (PANS), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Chapter, Ile-Ife to the State Governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola.

Dr Olamiju who bagged the award of excellence in recognition of his contribution to the growth and development of Pharmacy profession in Nigeria and the world at large at this year's PANS Week in OAU, Ile-Ife. He is an alumni of the faculty and institution.

Presenting the award to Dr Olamiju, the Dean of Faculty, Professor Moses Akanmu described him as a very humble man who has distinguished himself in his chosen career as a pharmacist and thanked him for doing the pharmaceutical profession proud, both in practice and politics. "We are proud of you", he said.

The awardee, Dr Olamiju after receiving the award said, “I am dedicating this award to the Governor, State of Osun, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola for making significant progress towards developing our state, especially on his recent revamping of the health sector. I encourage him to do more. I am not ungrateful to God”.

According to him, “considering the importance and the giver of the award, I see this award more important than every other ones I have received because this is coming from the faculty that moulded me to become who I am today. I am so much grateful to God for such a wonderful experience here in OAU which is the melting pot for academics and excellences”.

Olamiju, a pharmaceutical doctor turned politician while addressing the students challenged them to take their destines in their hands by acquiring practical skills that will enable them to be self-employed after graduation, instead of waiting for white-collar jobs that were non-existent.

He stressed that the era of white collar jobs and dependency on government in Nigeria has long gone, charging them to learn practical skills, commit to their passion, and be enterprehenuers even while in school, in addition to their academics, in order to have a base after graduation.

"Before you can be an excellent entrepreneur, especially in pharmacy, you have to acquire more skills. Acquisition of skills is mandatory and I urge you never to shy away from any opportunity where you can improve on yourself."

"Any programme that will not benefit your vision, you don't need it. Nobody is concerned by the number of degrees you have or how versatile you are in cramming. What they want to see is basically how you can provide solutions to their health problems."

He further admonished the students to take up the challenge and start to do things differently in order to become employers of labour in the nearest future.