By Ayodele Abere
The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Sunday Abayomi Fasina, has expressed his readiness to retain First-Class graduates of the University.
Professor Fasina made the disclosure at a Press Conference held in the Institution on Monday to herald the activities for the 8th convocation ceremony of the fast growing Institution which comes up this Saturday.
According to the university boss, 6, 563 graduands would be convoked. While giving the breakdown of the total number of the graduands, the VC said 114 graduated with first class, 2,762 graduated with second class upper and 2, 793 graduated with second class lower. While 688 graduated with third class. At the post graduate level are 36 PhD, 163 Masters and 7 Post Graduate Diploma.
However, the Vice Chancellor has promised to engage the first class graduates which he said would be coming in sequence if not at once. He also explained that some personalities who have made their marks in the society would also be honoured at the occasion as he noted that the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele would be conferred with doctor of public law, Senator Adeola Yayi would be conferred with doctor in accounting and Rt.Hon. Yusuf Adam gagdi would be bestowed with doctor of political science.
Fasina who was so worried and disturbed about the state of security of the nation and shamble economy emphasized the need for everyone to be sensitive to his or her environment, saying that there will be no development in any nation that is static.
The VC explained that there shouldn’t be any reason talking of kidnapping in an agrarian state like Ekiti going by the recent occurrences in the State as he said all the forest can be cleared and turn to greenbelt to create jobs for people, generate revenue and provide food as being done in the developed world.
“As a nation, we must come together and be united to develop the nation and make a centre of tourists attraction. We are complaining but not providing solutions because we are not sensitive to our environment. We have neglected some things and that’s why we are suffering. It’s very unfortunate”. Professor Fasina lamented.
Stressing further, the don stated that kidnapping incidents in the country can be contained by developing the technological devices to detect the kidnappers.
“If Nigeria is not conducive, the citizens own the responsibility of making it conducive for themselves without having to travel another country”.
The Vice Chancellor said he set up 20-point agenda when he came on board as the head of the Institution in 2021 to ensure that he leaves the university better than how he met it at the end of his tenure and that all the set goals have been achieved. Such as Drive for IGR, sustainability of the university through the use of strategic plans, efficiency of fund utilisation, annexing alumni relations, deep irrigation for wealth creation, creation of venture and consultancy, establishment of college of medicine, entrepreneur vision, institute for food security and commercial agriculture, visibility of FUOYE academic staff, centre for research innovation, creativity grantsmanship, ICT, aggressive infrastructural drive, international programmes and linkages, university governance, staff and students welfare, capacity building, university branding and regular retreat and summit.
Nevertheless, Professor Fasina said he considered the establishment of college of medicine as his greatest achievement. Recounting, he said what the university had when he came on board as the Vice Chancellor was Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences which has now successfully converted to Faculty of Medicine.
