Augustine varsity commissions multi-million naira bottle water production plant

The Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, has donated a multimillion naira water plant to Augustine University, in Ilara, Epe, Lagos State.

Cardinal Anthony Okogie at the commissioning of the water plant in Epe.

The Catholic priest while speaking at the commissioning of the water plant recently, thanked those who assisted him to donate the water plant and other laudable development in the institution.

The Catholic Archbishop who is also the founder of the university, appreciated the proprietor of the institution and Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins for his fatherly and extraordinary care of the staff and students of the institution.

Okogie also commended the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Steve Olaoluwa Afolami for first selling the idea of the water plant to the institution.

The cleric said: “Taking a leap from the English proverb that, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, this prompted the institution to proffer a permanent solution to water problem on the campus. It was the need for regular water supply that led us to start a water plant.

“As our ace musician Fela Anikulapo would say, ‘water no get enemy’, it therefore becomes expedient to source for a mean for potable water because it is a basic necessity of life.”

The BOT chairman of the institution, Sir Steve Omojafor, revealed that the decision to build the water plant was after seeing students on the campus suffering to get drinking water.

He added that schools like Maryland Comprehensive schools provided water plant for its students, saying this is one of the things that motivated the school to build the water plant.

Omojafor stated that the idea started the school Governing Council flouted the idea noting that while seeking for a donor, the Cardinal volunteered to sponsor the project which was initially estimated at N20 million.

The proprietor of the institution, said the water plant is one of the projects by the Cardinal to contribute to the development of the university.

Martins said: “Water is essential but can’t be useful if it is not treated. This is just like how Elijah in the Bible purify water before it could be useful. In Augustine University, we don’t only have purified water, but also sanctified water.”

The institution recognised the following for their contribution to the university’s development. They are: Rev. Fr Melchizedek Okpala, Rev. Fr Alexander Oboh, Rev. Fr. Christopher Adeyemi Atoyebi, Prince Joseph Nnamukwu Okeanyanwu and Mr. Stephen Ubule.

Others are: Mr. Christopher David Hassan, Mr. Emmanuel Abejeshi Ikwen and two others two who are late, Fabian Onyeugo and George Akutsam.