The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, has lauded the management of the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (BOUESTI), for its commitment to research and scholarship, to propel the institution’s ranking on webometric scale.
The Deputy Governor, said the focus of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, was to make BOUESTI a world class institution, calling on the management, the host community and the students’ population to coalesce efforts with him to actualise the dream.
Essentially, Mrs Afuye stressed that the foregoing could only be achieved with prudent management of resources, stable academic calendar and churning out of graduates that are competent and outstanding, both in character and learning.
The Deputy Governor, in a statement by her Special Assistant (Media), Victor Ogunje, gave the commendation, on Thursday, while being decorated with an award of ‘Friend of the Researchers’, by BOUESTI’s management, at her office in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State Capital.
Saluting the management for their focus and dedication, Mrs Afuye, said Governor Oyebanji, had in his firm resolve to actualise the dream of making BOUESTI earn global respect increased its monthly subvention to spur good academic and research rating.
Specifically, she stated that the reason behind the increase was to bring radical improvement to workers’ welfare, boost research exploration and enhance infrastructural facelift.
“Let me commend the leadership of BOUESTI for what they have been doing in terms of producing graduates that can make Ekiti proud in line with Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s dream.
“Within this short time the school was upgraded to a university status, the management team has done wonderfully well. They have not only impacted positively on the state, they are also making good impacts on the host community.
“The whole essence of having a university is to produce quality graduates and for expansion of research scope, so that we can make scientific headways. I want the leadership not to derail from this focus.
“I appreciate this award and I think it will further propel me to make further meaningful sacrifices to develop this institution, because it is our pride”.
Presenting the award, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Victor Adeoluwa, saluted the Deputy Governor, for her personal contributions to the university, and for backing Governor Oyebanji to execute the roadmap geared towards developing the institution.
Adeoluwa, represented by the institution’s Director, Centre for Research and Development , Dr. Bankoke Faloye, said the award conferment was in appreciation of the past and present contributions of the Deputy Governor to the institution.
The VC pledged that he would galvanise the intellectual and professional knacks of his team to realise the dream of making the institution deliver on its mandate of promoting scholarship and research.
“This award was to appreciate Her Excellency for her past and present contributions dated back to about 30 years. She is like a mother to the institution.
“Mrs Afuye has done much for us financially, physically and spiritually. We are here to appreciate her on behalf of our Vice Chancellor for her great exploits in making BOUESTI an institution we can all be proud of as Ekiti citizens”, he said.