The Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo has renamed the longest road on the campus Dr. Lateef Kayode Jakande Road.
Jakande, the first civilian governor of the state, was in office between 1979 and 1983.
The road stretches from LASU main gate to the students’ hostels at the rear of the campus.
Jakande was honoured as part of the celebrations to mark his 90th birthday. He mooted the LASU initiative in 1981. The university took off in 1983.
The street renaming was preceded by a lecture organised by the Faculty of Arts, with the theme: “Lateef Kayode Jakande: A phenom of administration”. It was held at LASU main auditorium. The guest speaker, Prof. Hakeem Danmole, from Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, said no government in Lagos had touched lives in a short period like Jakande’s.
Describing Jakande as a “man of integrity and honesty”, Danmole said the ex-governor’s achievements were yet to be equalled.
LASU Vice Chancellor Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun said Jakande epitomised what a public servant should be.
He said the students’ enrolment figure of 375 undergraduates at inception had increased to 6,500, with overall students’ population close to 25,000.
Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Harrison Adeniyi, said henceforth, an annual lecture would be held in Jakande’s honour.
Jakande’s friend, Adekunle Ali, described the celebrator as a reference point in contemporary politics.
He said: “Nobody can discuss modern politics in Nigeria without making a reference to his (Jakande’s) own period. For only 51 months, Jakande achieved all he did by transforming everything for good and bringing this institution to existence. I wish him more years because I don’t want him to go yet. We still have a lot to learn from him because his presence alone is a lesson.”
The high point of the event was the cutting of the birthday cake.
