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Tag: Vice-Chancellor.

  • Vice Chancellor decries invasion of varsity’s land

    Vice Chancellor decries invasion of varsity’s land

    The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Prof. Francis Eze, has said the university is threatened by the activities of land speculators who have invaded its land.

    Prof. Eze lamented that the encroachment on the university land, by unauthorised land grabbers, poses serious danger to lives and property of the management and students, as well as the corporate existence of the institution.

    The VC, who addressed reporters at the Senate Chambers, said the forceful takeover of the institution’s land recently assumed a dangerous dimension with the pulling down of the exit gate and the security house by the invaders.

    He said: “The University duly acquired the land in compliance with laid down procedures, including the full payment of all settlements to the host communities. But the recent encroachment on its land is so overwhelming that you can call it an invasion.”

    Prof. Eze, who conducted reporters round the institution’s boundaries with their host communities of Eziobodo, Iheagwa, Obinze and Avu, warned that “all those patronising land speculators, buying FUTO’s land and building on them, will lose their money as the buildings will be demolished.

    “We have started the perimeter fencing of the university, at a huge cost, just to protect the land.

    “Last time, some people brought heavy equipment and pulled down our gate house. It is that bad but we will no longer allow that. All those buying and building on FUTO land are doing so at their own risk,” the VC added.

  • Don’t ask students for Christmas gifts, VC warns staff

    Don’t ask students for Christmas gifts, VC warns staff

    Vice-Chancellor of Ritman University (RU) in Ikot Ekpene Prof Celestine Ntuen has warned the teaching staff against asking students for gifts during the Christmas period. The VC said no lecturer was permitted to collect any gift from students under any guise.

    Prof Ntuen made spoke during an interactive session with students in the school chapel. He said the school expected students to be above board by discouraging the urge to engage in misconduct with any lecturer.

    He reiterated that the university has zero tolerance for cultism, indecent dressing and bribery. The VC noted that payment for projects and handouts remained prohibited in the school, while lecturers were not allowed to accept gifts from students or demand payment for services rendered.

    Prof Ntuen restated that lecture attendance was compulsory, while advising the students to aim for the best in their studies.

    Aiming for the best academic performance, the VC said, will help improve the students’ determination to succeed, adding that those unwilling to make extra efforts would end up with poor results.

    Prof Ntuen urged the students to register for free at the school medical centre, which, he said, is well-equipped with a resident doctor and nurses as well as ambulance service in case of emergencies.

    Meanwhile, the school is bubbling with social events as students organise a beauty pageant, where winners will go home with prizes, including laptops and iPhones. Marketing personnel of a foremost telecommunications giant – Globacom – are expected on the campus to provide free Internet service for two weeks and also give away SIM Cards.

  • UNIOSUN:Will VC survive the probe?

    UNIOSUN:Will VC survive the probe?

    There are divergent views on the fate of the Vice Chancellor of  the Osun State University, Prof Labode Popoola, over allegations of financial misconduct levelled against him by workers. The Governing Council  is investigating the allegations. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA and ADESOJI ADENIYI (Osogbo) report 

    Opinions are divided on the fate of the embattled Vice Chancellor of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Prof Labode Popoola, who is being investigated by the university’s Governing Council for alleged financial misappropriation. While no one is faulting Popoola’s academic  brilliance, some are attributing his predicament to his ego, which they said, emboldened him to step on toes.

    Many, including the leaderships of unions, are cautious in speaking on a matter which is being investigated by the council. A few that spoke to The Nation described Popoola’s predicament as nemesis.

    The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions NASU-UNIOSUN which is spearheading the battle against the management, alleged that Popoola has squandered over N106 million since his administration came on board in November last year. To back up their claims, NASU, on October 18, submitted a petition to the Governing Council. Two days after, the Council constituted a three-member panel to investigate the allegations. The panel chaired by a professor of International Relations from the University of Lagos, Solomon Akinboye, has Mr. Oluwole Awe from the National Universities Commission (NUC), and Nurudeen Adeagbo, an engineer, from the Osun State Ministry of Works. The  investigation is ongoing.

    The petition signed by the union’s Chairman and Acting Secretary, comrades Isaiah Fayemi and Dada Kunmi, accused Popoola of trying to gag NASU by engaging in  victimisation to escape the long arm of  the law, a claim Popoola denied.

    “Mr Chairman Sir, we are reliably informed that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Labode Popoola has written against NASU to the Governing Council for a sole purpose of blackmailing our union. If the VC is not predetermined to unjustly deal with NASU in order to cover up his dirt, why is he monitoring our congress? Or can’t we gather together again as enshrined in Section 40 of Nigerian Constitution of 1999 as amended,” NASU demanded in the said petition.

    But the management has described the allegations as “corruption fighting back in the university.”

    The management said the petitioner which had benefitted from the sleaze that was once the norm in the institution was now disgruntled as they no longer have the opportunity to dip their hands into the public treasury.

    “UNIOSUN, which was once cash strapped, now enjoys a financial robustness – courtesy of Popoola’s ingenuity,”management stated

    Reactions

    However, a source, who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity, described Popoola as an individual that lacks the wherewithal to manage crisis and cater for workers’ welfare.  According to the source, Popoola acts like an omniscient and sometimes operates without recourse to due process in handling financial matters.

    “He (Popoola) is exceptionally brilliant,” the source said, “but he lacks the administrative skill and credentials required by the Office of the Vice Chancellor. He does not work with the Registry, a vital administrative organ of the university.

    “He is a lone ranger. He believes he knows it all and this attitude has affected his relationship with many, including workers and some members of the Governing Council, except the chairman of the council. Only (Yusuf) Ali believes in him and that is the more reason why the petitioners are warning that the council must not sweep the allegation under the carpet. They believe Ali is a man of integrity who must not allow the VC’s case  to tarnish his hard-earned reputation,” the source further added.

    But the Director, Inter-Campus and Public Affairs in the Office of Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Anthony Olusanya, denied that Popoola circumvents protocol. According to Olusanya UNIOSUN has a structure through which the VC operates and which will not allow him to work in isolation of departments and offices within the institution.

    “Popoola is an administrator. He follows due process in all his dealings. I don’t know how the petitioners came about the allegation of financial impropriety against the VC.  For instance, the VC cannot approve fund above N1 million and the ceiling for fund approval for the management team is N5 million. Any financial transaction above N5 million can only be handled by the university’s Governing Council.”

    Olusanya also denied that Popoola toys with workers’ welfare, describing such as an attempt to blackmail him so as to score a cheap point. He said in the last one year of Popoola in the saddle, workers have constantly collected their salaries on 25th of every month.

    Another source denied the impression in certain quarters that the Governing Council could not have been stampeded by NASU into setting up a probe panel. The source said that the chairman of the Council received the petition against the VC in the morning of October 20 which coincided with Council meeting and directed that a panel be set up and headed by him.  The source further insisted that no man could single handedly spend N106 million as claimed by the petitioners.

    A member of council also corroborated this view. The source said the amount was pretty mega for an individual to have pocketed in a system with checks and balances.

    “I do not want to agree that the VC stole such huge amount in a university system where there are checks and balances. However, I also do not wish to preempt the outcome of the panel. But one thing I will say is that the VC may be paying the price for his high handedness and disrespect for others. He doesn’t have human relations and this made him step on many toes. I also realised some of his close associates have tried to advise him against that tendency but he wouldn’t listen.”

    “See, majority of these workers writing petitions here and there are mere noisemakers. Do your checks and you will realise that they’ve always had a hand in every crisis that have rocked the institution. Most times, they don’t apply wisdom in conflict situations, and are difficult to pacify. They are only interested in heating up the system,”said another source.

    Meanwhile, NASU holds on to its position, and admonished all to exercise patience pending the outcome of the panel

    Speaking to our reporter on phone, Fayemi said the union would love to hold its peace for now, adding that the end would always justify the means.

    “For now, a committee has been set up to look into the allegations. We do not, through our utterances, wish to preempt the outcome of the committee. Mind you, all we know is that a dog will not bark unless it sees. We are the one that petitioned the Governing Council; so let’s see until the panel finishes its work,” he said.

     

    The Petition

    Non Aacademic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), has alleged that the VC went out of bound because he has the Governing Council in his pockets.

    “Permit us to say that we are worried that the VC, Prof. Labode Popoola has been able to successfully commit all these under your watch as the Governing Council Chairman going by your antecedents. We are not also surprised because he (VC) has been boasting that he is in control of the Governing Council. Sir, his actions so far also confirmed the statement,” stated the petitioners.

    “These, he is doing against NASU because he must have been informed that it is only our union that can expose his financial impropriety. Sir, NASU members have refused to be intimidated, humiliated, and victimised by the Vice Chancellor or anyone at the corridor of power because our union stands for truth, justice, equity and operates with facts and figures.

    “We, therefore, call on the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mallam Yusuf Ali and the entire members of Council to do the needful and convince the entire staff of the Osun State University that he (VC) is not in control of the Governing Council. The leadership of NASU-UNIOSUN branch will be available to stand by the allegations leveled against the Vice Chancellor even in his presence. We use this medium to again call on the Governing Council under your leadership to please make sure that these allegations are thoroughly investigated’’.

     

    VC’s response

    “Just do your independent search on Labode Popoola as a person, a scholar and an administrator. Find out how much UNIOSUN is worth in cash after years of profligacy and sleaze by the current petitioners. Find out how a VC has succeeded without government subvention to pay staff salaries in full before the end of the month, for his 12 months in the saddle. Reflect also on what unionism has become in our clime- a tool of cheap blackmail by people who have no business being in the academia. We are dealing with a simple case of corruption fighting back.”

     

  • Poor funding bane of education

    The Vice Chancellor, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, has identified poor funding as a major threat to achieving a functional education in Nigeria.

    Prof. Ajibefun spoke while playing host to Ondo State House of Assembly’s Committee on Vocational, Technical and Tertiary Education, which visited the campus on a familiarisation tour.

    He said: “Poor funding of Nigeria’s education sector causes setbacks for its inherent ability to compete globally. Adequate funding is inevitable if Nigeria must compete globally with her peers in the education sector, while universities must be up and doing in finding creative ways of sourcing funds.

    “Aside dependence on governments, parents, corporate organisations and wealthy individuals must aid the education sector for it to soar with peers.”

    The VC, who thanked the committee  members for their time and for finding  the university worthy of visiting, said, the institution  strives to always give its best, producing the best in the various fields even in the face of dwindling economy and meagre resources.

    He explained that universities need good facilities to inject the best skills that would enable students have relevant skills and compete globally.

    The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Bankole Felemu, who led the team to the university, praised  the level of infrastructural development at AAUA, especially the Senate Building, which he described as one of Nigeria’s best.

    Other members of the team are: Rt. Hon. Malachi Adeniyi Coker, Hon. Jamiu Suleiman Maito, Hon. Kazeem Musa, Hon. Fasogbon Akinyele, Hon. Ebiwonjumi Sola, Hon. Mukaila Musa, Hon. Akinsoyinu Olugbenga Ifedayo, Chief Oyadeyi O.K, Mrs. Tope Abiona and Mr. Anota.

  • Babcock VC makes case for reading

    Vice Chancellor of Babcock University Prof Ademola Tayo  has lamented the negative impact of the media on worsening poor reading habits of Nigerians.

    Speaking during the opening of the 2017 Babcock Book Fair, which held at the registry square of the university, Tayo said it was sad that Nigeria was among countries with poor reading culture.

    Tayo called on the government, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs), corporate organisations, educational institutions and well meaning Nigerians to tie reading to some incentives.

    He said the method was used successfully by the United Kingdom (UK) government years back.

    The Vice Chancellor expressed hope that the book fair would contribute to improving the reading culture and significantly impact students, lecturers, and the education system.

    He said next year’s Book Fair would return bigger and better as more publishers will be encouraged to participate.

    Speaking at the occasion, the Education Officer, Ikene Local Government Area, Ogun State, Mrs. Oronti Bukola, praised the university for organising the book fair.

    On her part, Group Managing Director of Babcock Investment Group (BIG)  Prof Yetunde Makinde  said they organised the fair to make variety of books available to students and lecturers.

    As the major working tools for students, Prof Makinde urged parents to give money to their children to buy all the books they need for their studies.

     

  • Prof Chinedum, female, Chrisland new VC

    Prof Chinedum, female, Chrisland new VC

    The new Vice-Chancellor of the Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola, has assumed office with a call on the Federal Government to list private universities as part of beneficiaries in the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

    Chinedum said private universities in the country have continued to supplement the efforts of both federal and state governments institutions, by providing tertiary education to Nigerian youths who do not have access to admission, as a result of the quota system, Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) cut off marks.

    The Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacokinetics, made the call at her inaugural address at the institution’s campus, explaining that private universities needed TETFUND’s intervention urgently in the areas of financial resources and infrastructure, according to a release by the institution’s Registrar, Abiodun ‘Lawale, and made available to The Nation.

    In her speech themed: “This is our new season indeed. The season of glory and new things for Chrisland University,” she said there would be a total review of the curriculum of the university to meet the 21st century needs.

    She explained that this would help equip students to compete effectively with global standards and undertake innovative projects while staff development would be enhanced via training in new ways of curriculum writing, teaching, research and learning methods.

    According to her, more active and case-based approach would also be explored.

    The former Head of Head of Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ibadan, also urged private universities to organise themselves if they intend to begin specialised institutions, as is obtainable in Federal Government institutions.

  • UNILAG gets 104 profs in five years

    The outgoing Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof Rahamon Bello has said 104 of the 292 professors produced by the institution since the inception in 1962 was during his tenure.

    Bello who bows out as the 11th vice chancellor of the institution on November 11, 2017, also said 25 per cent of the over 200,000 graduates produced by the school passed through the institution five years he was in charge, while 21 per cent of the Inaugural lectures were delivered in his time – underscoring his administration’s focus on strengthening academic culture.

    Speaking during his valedictory press conference at the Senate Chambers yesterday, Bello said: “As at today, a total of 292 professors have been produced in the university of Lagos since inception.  104 of these were appointed in the last five years accounting for 35.6 per cent of the total in the whole of the 55 years of the university.  Also as at today, there have been 354 Inaugural Lectures delivered in the 55 years of this university and 75 or 21.2 per cent were delivered during the five years of this administration.

    “Some of these decisions of Senate has enabled the university to graduate a total of 50,785 students in the last five years accounting for about 25 per cent of the total number of graduates produced by the university. Not just that about half of these are postgraduate students making us slowly becoming a postgraduate institution.  We now produce averagely 100 highly qualitative PhDs annually.”

    These, in addition to strengthening quality assurance, expanding infrastructure, facilitating international collaborations, introduction of online result processing, e-admission, electronic document management system and other IT reforms were some of the achievements Bello highlighted at the conference.

    “The institution has signed over 40 Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with sister institutions all over the world…these agreements afford our staff and students exchange and collaborative research opportunities,” he said.

    Speaking on challenges he faced while in office and his biggest regret, Bello mentioned the failure of the institution to sustain the Students Union despite efforts to do so as well as the inability to build structures for the Faculty of Law, Postgraduate School and the Distance Learning Institute.

    “The buildings planned for the School of PostGraduate Studies, Distance Learning Institute and Faculty of Law were not done.  If we had financial autonomy we could have done it on PPP arrangement.  Already the DLI has almost N1 billion for the building; the PG school has close to N400/N500 million; while Faculty of Law has between N100-N300 million.  The road also planned to connect the Commercial Avenue to Jaja Hall could not be done because of constraints of funds and bureaucracy,” he said.

    Regarding the Students Union not being sustained as planned, Bello said: “My greatest challenge was the student crisis.  Prof Amund who was Dean of Students Affairs is here to tell us all we did so that when the Students Union emerged again, there would be no problem.  But the problem is we did not realise that are professional students from polytechnics, colleges of education and even universities in Nigeria who move from one institution to another looking for where they can control. It took us that event in 2016 to realise this but it is more like a caucus, if the students of the University of Lagos are the ones that take over there leadership  and handle it the way the need it will not go that way.  We are trying to take care of that.  It was the failure of the Student Union to stand after we re-emerged it that was a challenge,” he said.

    Speaking on his administaration’s relationship with workers’ unions on campus, Bello said forming a Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the major unions (ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT)

    Bello charged his successor, Prof Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who was the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics and Research), to make the university’s interest priority always and learn to carry others along.

    “When you run a university like this, ensure you carry everyone along.  You must put the university as the main object, not yourself,” he said.

    He also urged Ogundipe to finish up on projects he did not complete.

     

  • NOUN gets first female Deputy Vice-Chancellor

    NOUN gets first female Deputy Vice-Chancellor

    A new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Professor Joy Eyisi,  has been elected by the Senate of the National Open University of Nigeria.

    Eyisi assumed duty on Thursday as the first female  Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

    A statement by the Director, Media & Publicity, NOUN, Ibrahim Sheme, said Eyisi’s assumption  “followed her victory in an election conducted by the university Senate on Wednesday to fill the slot which became vacant at the expiration of the tenure of Professor Patrick Eya.”

    The statement said: “Eya is expected to resume in December as the director of the university’s Regional Training for Open and Distance Learning.

    “Eyisi, the immediate past director of NOUN’s special study centre located at the National Assembly, is the first female DVC in the history of the university.

    “A professor of English language, she hails from Adazi-Ani in the Ani-Ocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.  Her tenure is two years.

    “At the brief handover ceremony held NOUN’s headquarters in Abuja, the new DVC thanked her predecessor for his fatherly advice and the university management for its confidence in her.

    “The event was witnessed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu, who felicitated with both Eya and Eyisi – one for successfully completing his tenure and the other for her victory.

    “Adamu reiterated his confidence in NOUN’s women community, saying the women in the university are some of the best in Nigerian academia.

    “He said Eyisi’s election has reaffirmed the balancing act in the university whereby every geopolitical zone in the country is represented in NOUN’s management structure.”

  • Disquiet in Ekiti varsity over alleged underground recruitment, contracts

    Disquiet in Ekiti varsity over alleged underground recruitment, contracts

    …VC: It’s not true

    Alleged underground recruitment of hundreds of new workers and award of contracts without due process is causing tension at Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti.

    Some workers of the university are accusing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Oye Bandele of “secretly” recruiting more staff without the knowledge of the Visitor, Governor Ayo Fayose.

    Workers who spoke in confidence also accused Bandele of purchasing ten new cars, awarding contracts to his wife, Mrs. Comfort Titilayo Bandele, and taking her on official foreign tours “when she is not an official of the university.”

    Workers, in leaflets distributed on campus, accused the VC of engaging in “frivolous overseas trips” alleging that he had engaged in not less than ten foreign tours within one year of assumption of office.

    The staff also accused the VC of renovating his residence to the tune of N20 million and appointing his wife as Director of EKSU Water, a business venture of the university.

    They alleged that the VC’s wife is in charge of admissions, contracts and employments and influencing the appointments of several indigenes of her hometown, Itapa-Ekiti into the university.

    Defending his integrity, Bandele described the allegations as “lies from the pit of hell.”

    He accused some former workers who were dismissed for forgery and certificate racketeering as the brains behind the allegations.

    According to him, seven of them were sacked after being indicted in the scandal.

    Bandele denied recruiting 300 staff “secretly” saying only 15 new workers were employed since the last major recruitment exercise of last year.

    Bandele denied the allegation that his wife is in charge of admissions, contracts and employments and her appointment as Director of EKSU Water

    He admitted going on foreign official trips with his wife which he said were done on economy class rather than business class to which he is entitled.

    Bandele said: “This place was a den of corrupt people selling certificates and don’t expect that these people will be my friend.

    “There are evil people here, they don’t want the university to grow; before I came to office, there was a cabal here. In fact, they forged my signature and these people have been dismissed.

    “Last year, we recruited 300 but some people alleged that we recruited 700 or 1,000; these are lies because since the recruitment of last year, we have only recruited 15 persons to fill some vacancies.”

    Speaking on foreign tours with his wife, Bandele said: “I will continue to travel (abroad) with my wife because I will not travel with somebody else’s wife.

    “Some women here are not happy that I did not take them along and I have no apology for travelling with my wife whether local or overseas. If I travel with my wife, why are they angry?

    “We travel by economy class even when I am entitled to business class but I write for a waiver because I don’t want to defraud the university.

    “When I came on board, I told the Procurement Officer not to give any contract to my wife. She has not taken a kobo contract.”

  • Unilorin: Ahmed congratulates new VC

    Unilorin: Ahmed congratulates new VC

    Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has congratulated the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Professor Sulyman Age Abdulkareem over his appointment and assumption of duty as the new helmsman of the institution.

    The Governor, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, described Prof Abdulkareem as a tested administrator and academic of high repute whose appointment will not only sustain the successes of his predecessors but record new milestones in the better by far University. “This appointment is a well-deserved one”, the governor said.

    Ahmed assured the University Support and cooperation, especially in the areas of human capital development and research on agricultural practice and sustainable energy.

    The governor who also congratulated the former Vice Chancellor, Prof AbdulGaniyu Ambali for ensuring that the institution maintained a stable academic calendar, among other achievements, prayed God to see the new vice chancellor through in his new but familiar position of responsibility to his fatherland and humanity, and to grant him strength, wisdom and more knowledge to achieve his goals.