Dr Aweda Bolaji Damilola, the immediate past president of the University of Ibadan Students’ Union, has thanked the university management for the surprise reception he received during his convocation, saying it reflected the mutual respect he shared with officials despite disagreements during his tenure.
Aweda, popularly known as Oloye, wrote on X that he had stepped forward expecting a handshake from the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Peter Olapegba, when the hall erupted in applause and cheers. He said principal officers, provosts, faculty deans, alumni representatives and Students’ Union executives then came down from the stage to take a photograph with him.
“As a former President of the Students’ Union, I was beyond honoured by this gesture,” Aweda wrote. “These were the very individuals with whom we had engaged, sometimes disagreed and had to contend with on various student-related matters during my time in office.”
Aweda said he embraced Olapegba after shaking hands with him and congratulated him on his installation as vice-chancellor. According to Aweda, it was their first meeting since Olapegba’s election. During the exchange, the vice-chancellor recalled the July 17, 2024, student protest, when Aweda called him at about 2 a.m. to ask him to address the protesters.
The former union president also congratulated Prof. Ayodeji Omole on his election as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration). He said he hoped the two university leaders’ backgrounds in unionism would help the current Students’ Union engage with management on issues affecting students.
Reflecting on his journey from arriving in Ibadan in 2018 to receiving his degree, Aweda said the reception showed how much he valued the relationships he had built while representing students.
“Disagreements may exist, but they should never erase mutual respect or diminish the value of service,” he wrote.
