By Ayodele Abere.
The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Professor Abayomi Fasina , has said that he would appoint a student as one day Vice-Chancellor of the Institution. This he said would be part of his strategies to encourage and improve the capacity of the students for better performances across board.
The VC made this known during the press conference organised to intimate journalists about the seventh convocation but second in his own tenure as VC slated for Saturday with several activities lined up beginning from Tuesday, 7th February, 2023.
While reeling out the achievements he has recorded witSyahin the two years of being in charge of the administration of the university as Vice-Chancellor,, Professor Fasina said, he has attracted fellowship for overseas training for six staff. Noting that a leader who cannot lead by example is not a leader. He said every other staff of the institution is expected to emulate that by bringing more opportunities to the staff of the institution and the university itself.
In terms of community service, the VC said his administration has been able to influence their environments in terms of knowledge economy and commerce by having the part time programmes of the university in not less than nine towns of the State,explaining that more towns are still sending letters, requesting to also have the part time programmes in their towns.
On academic matters, the university boss stated that all the programmes of the institution are fully accredited including professional accreditation. He said medicine has been introduced and that it will be accredited soon saying that he has spoken with the NUC and that they promised coming soon. While Medical and Dental Council had visited and gave go ahead with fifty students to start off.
“We have seventy-four programmes and we have the workforce of nothing less than two thousand five hundred staff. There’s genuine reconciliation with all aggrieved parties. We reconciled about one hundred and fourteen people including the former ASUU Chairman, Dr. Omonijo, we have reinstated him. He’s back..
“We have stable academic calendar. Staff promotion is up to date. Seven hundred and sixty-two promotion has been done in the last two years. Fifty people have been promoted to professorial”.
In realisation of the fact that universities teach more of theory than practical, he has promised to introduce and appoint Professor of Practice and Diaspora Professor Initiative to FUOYE. Adding that Professor of Practice are not necessarily the people in academics but individuals that have distinguished themselves so well in their lines of profession.
“They will be engaged to teach the students mainly the practical. He noted that what the students are facing when they go out are more than the theoretical aspects that they are being exposed to in the classrooms. I have told my colleagues in agriculture that we have been teaching theory for long, stop this theory and come and feed the whole of Ekiti State”. Said the VC.
Stressing that five hectares of land have been cleared in Ikole-Ekiti for tomato and pepper plantation with irrigation to feed at least the people of Ikole- Ekiti if not the whole of Ekiti people.
Fasina also said he has discussed with them in Germany to be bringing their lecturers to Nigeria to come and lecture online. Adding that they will be on the staff list and that two weeks to the exam, they would come around, do revisions and then exams and they will go back. “So when you are talking of international lecturers, we have them in Oye-Ekiti without spending much. The ability of university to show that it’s a world class university is to be able to attract international students and scholars”. Fasina affirmed.
The university will be convoking about four thousand graduands this weekend as 91 First Class, 1,423 Second Class Upper, 1,845 Second Class Lower and 452 graduands will be convoked. Others include 21 Ph.D, 79 Masters and 3 Post Graduate Diploma.
While advising President Muhammadu Buhari on the state of the Nation, Professor Abayomi Fasina urged the President to make use of technocrats in proffering solutions to the current problems and challenges of the country. Saying technocrats have never failed in bringing positive results.