The Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Hon. Olatunji Bello, has donated a new auditorium to the Lagos State University (LASU) Epe Campus, describing it as his way of sowing a seed in the vineyard of knowledge instead of hosting a lavish 60th birthday party in 2021.
Bello, a former member of the Lagos State Executive Council, explained during the inauguration on Wednesday that his choice reflected his conviction that public purpose is best served by supporting public universities to bridge infrastructural gaps.
“By choosing to invest the money through sowing the seed in the vineyard of knowledge, I believe we are preserving my 60th birthday cake in a way that it will be shared and savoured by many generations to come,” Bello said.
He revealed that he had to sell a property in Magodo, Lagos, to finance the project after costs escalated. Bello had earlier instituted annual academic prizes in five disciplines — Law, Mass Communication, Social Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine — at LASU on his 50th birthday in 2011.
The donor credited his wife, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, now Vice Chancellor of LASU, for inspiring the idea of the donation.
Commending the gesture, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, and former Ogun State Governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba, praised Bello’s sacrifice and urged more Nigerians to emulate him.
Sanwo-Olu said: “I was at his 60th birthday ceremony when he made the commitment, and thank God it has been fulfilled. Despite the difficulties of the time, you did this. God will replenish your pocket.”
Minister Alausa also promised improved power supply to LASU’s Ojo and Epe campuses with additional megawatts soon to be provided.
Prof. Olatunji-Bello hailed her husband’s enduring commitment to education, noting that he strongly believes it remains the most powerful tool to shape destinies and lift people out of poverty.
