- The Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti in Ekiti State, Prof Tunde Samuel, has appealed to the Federal Government and other stakeholders in the education sector, as well as friends of the university, to come to its aid in terms of improving its learning environment.
The Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti in Ekiti State, Prof Tunde Samuel, has appealed to the Federal Government and other stakeholders in the education sector, as well as friends of the university, to come to its aid in terms of improving its learning environment.
Speaking during the second combined convocation of the university held on the Oye-Ekiti campus last Saturday, Samuel noted that the state of infrastructural development of the university still left more to be desired.
He listed the infrastructural challenges of the institution, which requires urgent attention, to include poor road network, poor drainage system, erosion control, lack of landscaping, shortage of lecture rooms, staff offices and hostels and a security challenge induced by the absence of perimetre fencing.
“The university is grappling with acute shortage of personnel, especially when we calculate on the basis of staff-students ratio. The current composition of the staff is tilted in favour of junior academic staff,” he added.
Samuel, who bemoaned the negative effects of misinformation about the university and militant unionism, gave the assurance that the university management would strive to facilitate an enabling environment for all staff to excel in their various fields.
“We will upgrade our ICT facilities to facilitate the ease of teaching and learning. We will pay increasing attention to staff welfare. We will order our priorities and ensure that all these are provided,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Kayode Soremekun, said the institution’s attainment and future aspirations were connected with the way the challenges confronting the institution were addressed, which he said would determine, in no small measure, the prospects of the university.
Soremekun said, “Our genuine aspiration is to transform FUOYE into a cynosure, an institution worthy in all ramifications to be called a university. We want to be competitive on all metrics nationally and internationally.”
President Muhammadu Buhari lauded FUOYE for for the “exemplary personalities and outstanding pedigree of distinguished Nigerians” that the university had chosen to award honorary degrees.
FUOYE, on the occasion, conferred honorary awards on an Islamic cleric who saved 262 Christians from Boko Haram insurgents in 2018, Imam Abubakar Abdullahi; an Amerian educationist and philanthropist, Chief Guy Garguillo; and Catholic Bishop of Ekiti Diocese, Felix Ajakaye in recognition of their services to humanity.
Buhari, represented by a director of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Dr Ojo Olusola, said the university was not wrong in its choice of the eminent Nigerians.
“This is coming at a time when most other Nigerian universities have completely bastardised such awards by offering them to the highest bidders. But FUOYE chose to follow the path of honour,” he added.
