The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Dr. Enoch Adeboye, on Wednesday officially opened the newly upgraded University of Ibadan Zoological Garden, at a ceremony which was also attended by the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Adewole. While congratulating the varsity authorities for the attainment of its set goal on the garden, Adeboye said that the church contributed financially to the rehabilitation of the zoo because man had the duty of preserving the animals which he said were created before man. He said, “The church donated some amount towards the project but I was not thinking of a rapid transformation. We must thank the Vice Chancellor and the university authorities for completing the project without delay. Animals were created by God before man. So, there must be something special about them.
If you handle them well, they can be good friends. Human beings are not predictable but animals are predictable, if well handled. I pray that there will be no tragedy or accident in the zoo.”
Adewole and the Director of the UI zoo, Dr. Olajumoke Morenikeji, had earlier taken Adeboye round the zoo.
In her address, Morenikeji said that the zoo went through four years of transformation with the help of the VC, some corporate bodies and individuals.
She also thanked Adeboye for the donation of N45m towards the project.
Morenikeji said, “Indeed, we are greatly indebted to the magnanimity of Pastor Adeboye who has been a strong facilitator of this project. This project runs into hundreds of millions of naira. For the first time, the zoo is fenced round with blocks. A new vehicle was also given to the zoo.”