No fewer than 17 aspirants jostling to become the next Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Thursday, presented their programmes and visions at the community forum organised by the unions in the university.
The unions are the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU; Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU; Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, students unions.
Former Ambassador to Philippines, Dr. Yemi Faroumbi, chaired the event.
The aspirants include Professors Adeyinka Aderinto; Remi Raji-Oyelade; Kayode Adebowale; Bunmi Olaopa; Olatunde Kalilu; C.O.O Kolawole; Raheem Lawal; Oladele Layiwola; Olusegun Ademowo; Akeem Fawehinmi; Babatunde Lateef Adeleke and Kolapo Hamzat, among others.
They all identified the problems of welfare, instability in academic calendar, problems of research, technology and electricity as impediments to the actualisation of full potentials of the premier university.
They, however, promised to aggressively turn the tide to reposition it to academic leadership in Africa and globally.
Aderinto, who is the immediate past Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the university, in his presentation, promised to make the premier university solution centre to the problems of the country.
He maintained that Nigeria would be running to UI for solutions to its problem while promising to ensure that the premier university contributed to policy development, debates and engagements.
While promising to pursue aggressive fund mobilisation for the university, he disclosed that the university would be repositioned to proffer solutions to Nigeria’s problems and positioned to present position papers on government policies and offer workable solutions to the problems of corruption, poverty, unemployment and insecurity.
Prof. Adebowale, who is the current Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), promised to encourage town and gown relationship and strengthen internally generated revenue.
Prof. Raji-Oyelade, on his part, vowed to pursue proactive welfare system which he said would discourage industrial strike and engender collaborative re-focusing research for a post-oil economy.
Prof. Kolapo Hamzat, promised technology driven and research intensive university which he said, would empower graduates to be self-sufficient.
Profs. Alonge, Kalilu, Salau, Raheem Lawal and Babatunde Adeleke, also promised to reinvigorate the university as a world class and truly international institution which he said would compete globally.
The chairman of the occasion, Dr. Faroumbi, in his remarks, charged whoever emerged as the 13th Vice Chancellor not to “abandon yesterday and today”, but to consolidate and build on the strength of yesterday and today.
He said the University of Ibadan must offer fresh hope for Nigeria, adding that the best of University of Ibadan should be its tomorrow and not her past, charging that whoever emerged “must add value to this institution.”
