500-level student becomes 2021 Bowen ‘one-day’ VC

This year’s annual political, democratic and intellectual-based competitive election among Bowen University students to contest for the office of the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, has come and gone.

The final exercise favoured Olasubomi Olopade, a 500-L student from the College of Law of the institution. He contested with other candidates drawn from other colleges in the institution before he won the seat as the second one-day student vice-chancellor in the history of the institution.

Olopade, who assumed the professoriate academic status, took over from the incumbent university Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joshua Ogunwole, to perform the statutory responsibility of a VC in the ivory tower, though, for 24 hours.

During the period, Olopade became the head of administration of the whole campus, while other principal of officers of the university took orders from him for the whole of June 16, 2021. All the administrative decisions he took to move the university forward within 24 hours was bound on the whole campus.

Other candidates who participated in the election were 400-Level Economics students, Miss Ibukun Areo, and 400-Level Statistics student, Joshua James. They assumed the office of Deputy Vice-Chancellors during the period.

According to a statement by the Head of Information, Protocol and Public Relations, of the university, Honorable Toba Adaramola, the institution VC, Ogunwole, initiated the idea to create a platform that would provide an opportunity for students of the university from 300 Level and above with not less than 4.0 CGPA to vie for the position to lead the university for one day as part of the university leadership training programme for the students.

Olopade who spoke at a press conference held to honour him said: “During my campaign, I promised to see to the renewal of the DSTV subscription for females. This I thought had been innocently overlooked because of the overreaching Boise of boys and football. So, this was installed the night of my office.

“I also promised to establish a breakfast hub, where healthy breakfast would be sold to students. This is a project and could not be done in a day, so I installed a committee with a 7-day proposal that would be presented to the university community. I had a meeting with the principal officers and intimated them on the prospects of the proposed project. I signed many papers some involving funds disbursement, and some I refused my signature, requesting further information and further directions to specific officers.

“It had been noticed that the cleaners of the toilet have been complacent and often the toilets are not washed. So I had a meeting with the manager of the cleaning services, pointing his attention and together we visited the hostel and reiterated the lapses. Moreover, I had meetings with the Director of the Directorates and offered my advice on how things could be done better. All these were done with the collaborative help of my DVCs.

“I believe leadership is about service, but that however is becoming cliche, I fervently believe it’s service with results I will be remembered for integrity, service and service with results. For the TV’s started working on that day, the breakfast hub is in progress.

“For sure, Bowen University raises godly and excellent leaders and it gives a platform to demonstrate the trainings.”

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