The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ekiti varsity

  • New Senate building for Ekiti varsity

    The Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University (EKSU), Prof. Samuel Oye Bandele, has urged the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to execute more projects in the institution.

    Bandele, who made the call during the inauguration of three projects in the university built with the support of TETFUND, said the management had judiciously spent funds received from the agency to build more infrastructures.

    The buildings inaugurated by the Executive Secretary of TETFUND, Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, included Senate Building, Centre for Gender and Development Studies and Four-in-One Lecture Theatre.

    Bandele revealed that the university boasts 18 modern buildings funded by TETFUND while the university has accessed its allocations up to 2014 while that of last year was still being processed.

    He explained that the new Senate Building inaugurated would host the office of the VC, Deputy Vice Chancellors (DVCs), Council Chambers, Conference Rooms, among other state-of-the-art facilities.

    Other TETFUND projects awaiting inauguration, according to him, include the new Faculty of Science complex, Faculty of Arts complex and e-examination Centre which have all reached advanced stages and would become operational in two months’ time.

    Bandele said the new projects inaugurated would facilitate administration and learning in the university, adding that he was fulfilled witnessing the occasion as the last time a TETFUND project was inaugurated on the campus was in 2012.

    The EKSU boss said apart from projects intervention, the university had also benefited from TETFUND in areas of library development, academic staff development, conferences and journals, manuscript development and construction of entrepreneurship centre.

    Bandele stressed that the new projects inaugurated were inherited from his predecessor, Prof. Dipo Aina, saying he is an apostle of continuity in governance and would never support abandonment of projects.

    He said: “I will complete all projects begun by my predecessor because the bane of development in our society is the penchant for abandonment of projects started by predecessors in office.

    “We are about the best user of TETFUND funds. So, like Oliver Twist, we demand more.”

    The Chancellor, who is also the Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Adegoke Olu Adeyemi said: “We appreciate the Federal Government for providing the funds. But I want to ask for much more after the V-C has asked for more.”

    Governor Ayo Fayose, who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola, said he was impressed with the vision of TETFUND in assisting tertiary institutions with new projects and capacity building of members of staff of the institution.

    He said: “With the calibre of people such as Dr. Baffa in TETFUND, we have a square peg in a square hole. And I want to emphasise more on building the capacity of members of our academic staff.

    “When we have the state-of-the-art equipment, our researchers will come out with quality researches that will stand the test of time and I believe EKSU will move to the level of highest performing institutions with respect to utilisation of TETFUND support.”

    TETFUND chief, Dr. Baffa described EKSU as “one of the higher performing beneficiary institutions,” describing the new Academic Building as an “iconic project”. He assured that more of such are on the way.

    Baffa said: “Going round and seeing the quality of projects provided for EKSU shows that the future of higher education in Nigeria is, indeed, bright. I congratulate EKSU on having the commitment to provide intellectual capital.

    “We cannot do it if you don’t provide physical infrastructure and develop the content. We have competent management in EKSU to provide this; EKSU is one of the higher performing institutions.

    “An iconic and beautiful structure such as this is what is expected in a tertiary institution. It will boost self-worth and self-esteem of students. Small cubicles like what is seen in primary schools should not be seen again in our universities.

    “We are going to triple the normal intervention we give to tertiary institutions, but we are going to bring in more control. We are going to spend more on our scholars to take them to the best universities in the world for further training.”

  • Unions shut Ekiti varsity over salary arrears

    Unions shut Ekiti varsity over salary arrears

    Academic and non-academic activities were paralysed yesterday at the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, as workers shut the institution to protest the non-payment of their three-month salary arrears.

    Acting under the aegis of Joint Action Committee (JAC), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) demanded the immediate payment of their salaries.

    They vowed not to return to work, until their salaries are paid by the government.

    It was learnt that although the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) did not participate in the shutdown, it supported the action of the three other unions.

    The ASUU Chairman, Prof. Olufayo Olu-Olu, said the participation of his union can only be sanctioned by the union’s congress.

    NASU Chairman Tope Akanmu could not be reached for comments.

    SSANU Chairman Kolawole Falade said besides the three-month salary arrears, the workers are also owed earned allowances that date back to 2012.

    Falade said: “The three unions met under the Joint Action Committee on Tuesday and decided to embark on the protest to demand payment of our arrears.

    “We have also not received our earned allowances from 2012. We also need a governing council in the university.

    “There is also need for the government to increase the monthly subventions to the university from N260 million because of the College of Medicine.”

  • Boko Haram kills Ekiti varsity lecturer

    •Law students carrying the potrait of the late lecturer during the rally

    The Ekiti State University (EKSU) Campus was thrown into mourning last week. A lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Barrister Muhammed Sanni, was killed by gunmen suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect. Sanni was killed in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State last week.

    When the news hit the campus, there was confusion. Lecturers and students expressed shock as the news spread across the campus. This situation led to the abrupt termination of lectures last Tuesday.

    Sanni, a prominent personality among the Hausa lecturers teaching in the university, broke the ethnic barrier through his contributions to the development of the university and Ekiti State. He was honoured as Otunba of Isinbode Ekiti by the traditional ruler of Isinbode Ekiti as a result of many roles he played towards the development of the town.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the late Sanni travelled to his home state with his son, who secured admission into the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID). However, he arrived Maiduguri in the evening but stopped at his friend’s house in Biu to pass the night. Sanni’s host was said to be a prominent politician in the state. He was killed when the sect members struck in the area.

    In a rally held on campus in his honour, Otunba, as the late Sanni was called by students, was described by students as a good man whose office was opened to all students.

    The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Patrick Aina, who addressed the students, said: “We received the news of Sanni’s death with shock. He was a genius who worked with me to take this university to its desired position in the world. But we have lost him through the bullets of some clueless individuals who parade themselves as Boko Haram. The management will not neglect his family because Sanni was part of us and he would continue to be.”

    Akintola Makinde, 500-Level Law, expressed sadness. He said: “The death of Barrister Sanni has brought grief in the heart of the students. It is a colossal loss to Ekiti State University and Nigeria.”

    Adegbite Adegbile, Economics student, said: “I don’t believe Barrister Sanni is dead. He was such a jovial lecturer with whom one never had dull moments. He taught me General Study (GST) and none of the students that offered was marked down.”

    The Law Students’ Society president, David Erinoso, who spoke in tears, said: “It is painful that my relationship of many years with Otunba had to end this way. It is so sad.”

    One of the mourning students said: “Otunba is one of the lecturers who would walk with students freely. He always had time to crack jokes with us. He would tell us not to let our rich culture die.” The Dean of Law faculty, Dr. T.I Akomolede, described the death of Sanni as “a blow that will take years for the faculty to recover from.”