The President of the Senate, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has commended the management of the University of Ilorin on the various achievements recorded by the University over the years, saying that the feats are giving him personal joy and pride that the University is based in his state of origin.

Senator Saraki gave the commendation last Tuesday (February 9, 2016) while welcoming the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali (OON), and other top officials of the University, who visited him in his office at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

The Senate President, who is a former Governor of Kwara State, said, "Let me use this opportunity to commend the achievements that the University has been able to make. It's giving some of us a great joy and pride to say that that is the University in our state".

Among the University officials on the Vice-Chancellor's entourage were the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. (Mrs.) N. Y. S. Ijaiya; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor-designate, Prof. Adedayo Y. Abdulkareem; the Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Dada Obafemi; the Director of Consultancy Services, Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu; the Deputy Bursar, Mr. Munirudeen Dere; and the Deputy Registrar, Abuja Liaison Office, Mrs. S. A. Oroge.

Others were the Director of Advancement Centre, Dr. Jeleel Ojuade; the Sub-Dean, Student Affairs, Dr. A. Yusuf; the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun; Mr. Raphael O. Fatoye, a Chief Accountant in the Bursary Department; and Mr. Kazeem K. Babamale, a Principal Assistant Registrar in the Vice-Chancellor's Office. Also on the entourage was the President of the institution's Students' Union, Comrade Alao Idris.

Senator Saraki, who received the Unilorin team in company of Senator Ben Bruce of Bayelsa State, also commended Prof. Ambali's ability to sustain and build upon the foundation laid by his predecessors, saying that "to sustain and build upon the set standard is one of the most difficult things in administration".

Describing the University of Ilorin as "a good product", the Senate President said, "When a product is good, it makes it much easier to sell; when a product is bad is when you have problem. We are all happy and thank God that the product we have before us, the University of Ilorin, is a very good product".

He pledged his support for the University's efforts to fully realise its mandate of teaching, research and community service through the provision of more hostel accommodation for its students as well as the increase in its admission carrying capacity.

The Senate President, who apologised to the University over his inability to attend its 40th Anniversary celebrations last October, said it was due to the pressure of his office.

Earlier in his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor had similarly congratulated Senator Saraki, saying his antecedents as a two-term Governor of Kwara State "is what is encouraging the rest of us at home to aspire to go near your record of performance".

Prof. Ambali informed his host that during the 40th anniversary of the University last October, a total of 22 projects, funded directly or indirectly by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), were commissioned by the Visitor, President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Babachir Lawal.

He told the Senate President that the University, being the most subscribed in the country for the third year running, received more than 103,000 applicants from admission seekers last year, out of which it could admit a little over 12,000. This, he said, was because of the limited carrying capacity. The Vice-Chancellor, however, sought the support of the Senate and that of the Federal Government to increase the University's carrying capacity "so that we could admit more candidates because access to education is very important globally".

Prof. Ambali further said, "In our University, we have about 45,000 students out of whom we could only accommodate about 5,000 on campus. So, we have about 40,000 outside the campus. And since certificates are awarded based on learning and character, and to be able to mould somebody's character, he or she has to be under your supervision 24 hours, we need to be able to provide more hostel accommodation for more of our students".

Highlights of the visit were the screening of a video clip on the giant strides of the University by the Director of Consultancy Services, Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, and the presentation of souvenirs, including copies of the 40th Anniversary commemorative book, "Unilorin at 40: the Soaring Eagle" , to the Senate President.

The Vice-Chancellor also presented a formal letter of invitation to Senator Saraki as the main honoree of this year's Leadership Summit being organised by the institution's Students' Union in April.