What Makes 'Great Ife' Great?

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 Sitting amidst the crowd of restless students as the Vice Chancellor delivered his speech, taking random notes on my android phone, I was beginning to feel restless myself when the VC uttered the words that caught my attention and would echo in my ears for days afterwards. 



It was on Tuesday, the 8th of March, 2022, at the inauguration ceremony of the Great Ife Student Union (GISU). The Vice Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede had launched into a lecture about what makes Great Ife great and telling the audience about how he spent seven years studying a six-year course, he concluded that that experience is one of the things that makes Great Ife great. I froze, not believing my ears. I turned to ask my neighbor if he heard what I heard and he replied in the affirmative. For a few seconds, I wondered if the VC was being sarcastic. I mean, it's great to be spending five years on a four year course isn't it? Absolutely wonderful! A perfect way to pass the time!

 

Looking back, various events have happened in the past(and are still happening) that has so much shocked the general public that students and Alumni of the university, not being able to give any other reason or reaction for such, could only exclaim: "Great Ife!" or "Greatest gba-gba!" or "Oba Awon University!" All of these exclamations have been made both in good and bad situations. Hence the question: Was our Vice Chancellor being sarcastic? I mean, when used in pitiable situations, the "Great" in Great Ife is negated by the circumstance.

Lastly, I have noticed that "Great Ife!" is hailed with some sort of bitter triumph in this "I came, I saw, I conquered" tone. Or in the case of our "kindergraduates" (as one of my lecturers would say), it is hailed in this "I'm here, I'm seeing, I must conquer" tone.


After much thought, I guess I would grudgingly agree with the VC on this one(in a sarcastic way though). Spending more than the required number of years to study a course at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife is one of the things that makes the school 'great' . No matter what happens, something always manages to extend the time a course is supposed to be completed. Of the Greateeeeest Ife!



Ololade Agoro.

(Trinity)

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