- Photo: Vice President Shettima (right) with Ibukun Okunmadewa and Obafemi Omitiran at their wedding reception on Saturday in Ibadan*
Reminiscing about his days as a student at the University of Ibadan, Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima, on Saturday, described the ancient city of Ibadan as home where he learned to turn everything that comes his way into opportunity.
Vice President Shettima spoke at the wedding reception of Ibukun Okunmadewa and Obafemi Omitiran held at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan.
The bride, Ibukun, is the daughter of Prof. Folusho Okunmadewa, whom the Vice President described as ‘my beloved teacher.’
Vice President Shettima, who laced his speech with the lines from ‘Ibadan,’ a poem by one of Nigeria’s greatest poets, John Pepper Clark, said that he was in Ibadan, not as a guest, but as a member of the bride’s family to receive guests at the wedding.
“So, I’m here to receive you as guests in this ancient city of memories. Ibadan is a home to me, a home that formed me and taught me to turn everything that comes my way into an opportunity.
“This would not have been easy without the patience of my beloved teacher, Prof. Folusho Okunmadewa, whose daughter, Ibukun and her groom, Obafemi, we are here to celebrate as they embark on a beautiful journey of discovering the essence of life.”
The Vice President said that the gathering for the wedding was not that of mere friends but as a closely-knit family united by the traits of time, education and unbreakable bonds.
“As I look around this room, I’m not only reminded of a city that has woven its culture, values and aspirations deep into my being, but also of how fate has played a part in expanding relationships and families,” Shettima stated.
Extolling the virtues of the bride’s father, Prof. Okunmadewa, Vice President Shettima described him as “a beacon of wisdom and guidance for vast generation of scholars,” adding, “I’m privileged to not only draw from this intellectual oasis of the University