FUOYE earmarks N1bn for security, perimeter fencing of 2 campuses

The Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, (FUOYE), has proposed one billion naira for the provision of security and perimeter fencing of the University’s two campuses.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, made this known at a Pre-Convocation news conference at the institution’s main campus, Oye-Ekiti, on Monday, ahead of its combined graduation slated for Aug. 31.

“We are very concerned about the security of our staff and students; a billion naira has been estimated to fence the Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti campuses.

“We are experiencing occasional cases of trespasses on our lands and to prevent this, we have to fence our campuses, which will cost  N1billion,”  he said.

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He said the university required N100million to conduct research across pivotal areas of the nation’s building and industries, stressing that the institution was desirous of making inroads in some industries to make the country proud.

Soremekun said the task of having major breakthroughs in the industry was crucial to those in the ivory tower, having identified the challenges in it.

The VC said it was dangerous for the country to rely on external professional bodies to design research agenda for Nigeria.

The don called on relevant national bodies to take up the challenge of funding researches so that such outcomes could be localised and made beneficial to the country.

He said a total of 1,000 students would be graduating and awarded with degrees at the combined convocation, out of which 35 got first class and 366 with second class degrees.

He urged the country to work on the issue of militant unionism, which he claimed, has taken over some campuses, describing this “as a huge distraction to management and smooth running of higher institutions.”
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The VC said the gradual transformation of the institution has made him be in good relationship with the students’ union body and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

“I met 29 operational programmes when I came in Feb. 2016 and today, we have 60 programmes.

“We have also added Faculties of Education and Management Sciences to expand the scope,” he said.

The VC disclosed that the institution now runs a total of 60 courses, adding that efforts are being made to seek accreditation for the Law and Pharmacy Faculties from their respective councils

He explained that the permission had been granted by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to run the faculties.

“In spite of our many great achievements, we also have challenges, which are mainly funding and issue of security occasioned by trespassing.

“This calls for an urgent need for perimeter fencing of the University premises.

“We also wish to note the challenge of militant unionism.

“While we recognize staff’s right to organise, agitate, including protests where inevitable, we advise that unionism must be done with legally permissible limits,” he said.

Soremekun hinted that an Islamic cleric, Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, who saved 262 Christians that would have been killed by insurgents in 2018, would be given an award of an Honorary Doctorate degree during the convocation.

Others on the honorary doctoral degree list are; Chief Guy Garguilo, an American Educationist and Philanthropist and  Bishop Felix Ajakaiye, the  Catholic Bishop of Ekiti.

He said the awards were in recognition of their exemplary services to humanity.

“As you would have noticed, the choice of these outstanding gentlemen was done without any bias for materialism, favouritism or nepotism or some selfish desires as our distracters may want the public to believe.

“We have allowed integrity, patriotism, selflessness to guide our sense of judgement in giving the honorary awards,” the VC said.