….. Says Age shouldn’t be barrier
By Kolawole Kayode
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has recently confirmed that ridicule and attack from opposition party contributed largely to his reason for pursuing his academic while also appealed to the people not to allow age be a hindrance to pursing their academic.
Adeleke stated this at the combined 9th undergraduate and 5th postgraduate convocation ceremonies of the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, on Sunday, where 75 postgraduate and 537 undergraduate students were conferred with various degrees.
The governor, who said after losing 2018 governorship election, he was subjected to the worst personality attacks and assaults, added that he had to leave the country to escape attack and to complete his degree programme, after his elder brother, Dr. Deji Adeleke insisted he must complete his education, or forgo his 2022 governorship ambition.
In his word “Dr Tajudeen Adeleke encouraged me to move ahead. Before I went on exile, he called me to a meeting where we discussed. He told me that I should look at what I have been subjected to by those saying I was not educated. He advised that I should go to America for studies.
“He said the only thing I can do for Osun people, if I am ready to be governor, I must get educated, I must complete my education; that without completing it, I should forget my governorship ambition.
“At my age then, I successfully re-enrolled and completed my degree programme. I am proud of that achievement and I thank my family and friends for their total support.
“I came back to re-contest in 2022 as a brand new graduate. The rest is now history. What is the lesson? Our age must never be a barrier to educational pursuit. What we need is commitment and passion to succeed.”