Education
16 Profs Jostle For Ul’s VC Post
No fewer than 16 Professors have indicated interest in the position of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
Our source gathered that the tenure of the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka comes to an end in November, 2020.
The new Vice Chancellor, when elected, will assume office for a single tenure of five (5) years on December 1st 2020.
Our correspondent, however, gathered yesterday that 16 Professors have indicated interest in succeeding the incumbent.
Those who have indicated interest and have been canvassing for votes from various stakeholders in the university included Professors Ta-hatu Kolapo Hamzat, Babatunde Lawal Salako, Babatunde Lateef Adeleke, Razaq Olatunde Rom Kalilu, Hakeem Fawehimi, Raheem Adebayo Lawal and Adeyinka Abideen Aderinto.
Others are Professors Clement Olusegun Kolawole, Olusegun George Ademowo, Emiola Olapade-Olaola, Oladele Olatunde Layiwola, Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, Temitope Alonge, Anthony Kadoye Onifade, Ebenezer Olatunde Farombi and Aderemi Raji Oyelade.
The Tide gathered yesterday that the 16 candidates are expected to address stakeholders in the university at a debate tagged “the Voice of UI VC: Who is next” billed to take place on Thursday via zoom.
The University of Ibadan was founded in 1948, and since its creation, no indigene of Ibadan has held the position of Vice Chancellor.
Following this development, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) appealed to President Buhari, who is the visitor to the university to address what it described as “marginalisation”.
The CCII President, Adeyemi Soladoye who recently addressed a press conference in Ibadan, called on Buhari to appoint one of the qualified professors from Ibadan as the Vice Chancellor of the 72-year-old university.
He described as unfortunate that by this year, the University of Ibadan is 72 years old and has produced 14 Nigerian Vice-Chancellors between 1960 and today but no Ibadan man has ever emerged as the Vice-Chancellor of the university.
He appealed to President Buhari to ensure that one out of the four indigenes is picked to succeed the current Vice Chancellor whose tenure expires in November this year.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, emphasised the need for students to go beyond academic achievements during the university’s 43rd Convocation ceremony.
The theme, “The University Culture In Practice, The IAUE Experience,” highlights the importance of embracing cherished traditions and intellectual values that define great universities.
Prof. Onuchuku encouraged the new graduates to work hard and persevere, noting that their convocation marks a new beginning in their careers and personal lives. He emphasised that they must prove themselves worthy of the certificates and prizes they have received.
According to him, out of 2,887 first-degree graduands, four made First Class, 403 secured Second Class Upper, 2,030 got Second Class Lower, and 450 graduated with Third Class. Additionally, 1,492 postgraduate students graduated, including 306 PhD holders.
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd), praised the university’s commitment to academic excellence and institutional maturity. He commended the Acting Vice Chancellor for achieving full accreditation for 47 academic programmes and implementing the NUC’s Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards.
The administrator urged the new graduates to uphold the positive values instilled in them by the university and strive for continuous knowledge and improvement.
By: King Onunwor
The Niger Delta Students Union Government, Rivers State Chapter (NIDSUG), has suspended its planned protest against the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) state office in Port Harcourt. The suspension followed an intervention by the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju.
The students had planned to protest on Thursday, citing alleged neglect by the NDDC, particularly in welfare and capacity-building programmes for students from the state. However, after the police intervention, the students agreed to participate in a roundtable discussion with the commission to address their concerns.
NIDSUG leader, Comrade Loveday Njoku, expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s alleged exclusion of students from benefiting from its programmes. He presented a seven-point demand, including the reintroduction of scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Njoku emphasised that education is crucial for community development and urged the commission to invest in the future leaders of the state.
The students warned that if their demands are not met, they will resume the protest and occupy the state commission office until their demands are addressed. Despite previous attempts to reach out to the commission’s management team, the students claimed their efforts were unsuccessful.
By: Akujobi Amadi
As part of efforts to improve the welfare and overall quality of education for students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, the Sole Administrator, Sir (Dr.) Clifford Ndu Walter DSSRS, FCAI, JP, paid an unscheduled visit to Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi.
During the visit, Sir Walter expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of the school and its surrounding environment. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the development of the education sector, stressing its critical role in nation-building.
“I have visited the primary school in Ogbogoro, and now I’m here at the Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi. I am not satisfied with what I’ve seen,” he stated, indicating that more surprise visits to schools would follow.
To address the issues, the Sole Administrator directed the Council Engineer to commence process for rehabilitation of the school.
The visit was part of a broader initiative aimed at conducting on-the-spot assessments of educational facilities to determine the level of intervention required by the local government council.
Dr. Walter also assured the teachers of his unwavering commitment to revamp the school and improve the learning environment for both staff and students.