Professor Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde says he reckons the enduring peace on the campus of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, which is a result of the comprehensive security arrangement put in place by his administration, as his greatest achievement as vice chancellor of the institution.
Olatunde completed his five-year tenure as OOU vice-chancellor on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
At an exit media chat organised to mark the end of his tenure, Professor Olatunde explained how the university under his management heavily fortified security arrangements on the campus, including massive recruitment of personnel and installation of close circuit television (CCTV) equipment to mount 24-hour surveillance on every nook and cranny of the campus.
Effectively deployed and monitored, these coupled with robust synergy with security operatives at different levels had helped put paid to all forms of criminalities and anti-social conducts, including cultism, for which OOU was notorious in the past.
He also spoke of how well the institution had fared in terms of academic programmes during his tenure, which culminated in all the programmes receiving, consistently, the nod of the National Universities Commission by way of accreditation.
Under his watch, he added, OOU rose from the 38th position on the Webometrics ranking to 17th, while the number of students seeking admission rose from 3,000 to 20,000.
Olatunde also noted that his administration prioritised staff welfare, as well as infrastructure development.
He boasted that the library of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, is arguably the most equipped and up-to-date in the country and perhaps beyond, saying that when it comes to publications in every field: “if it is published, we have it at OOU!”
The OOU library is currently headed by Dr Adebambo Adewale Oduwole, whom the outgoing vice chancellor reportedly personally head-hunted from the Lagos State University.
On the resolution of the current industrial dispute between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff of Universities as regards the contentious Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System as a payment platform, Olatunde advised that the critical components inherent in the ASUU-favoured University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) should be integrated into the IPPIS.
The integration of UTAS into the IPPS, he stressed, should be worked out to accommodate the peculiarities of the university system, particularly lecturers’ salaries and allowances.
Professor Olatunde called for an alternative way of resolving industrial disputes other than strikes, saying strikes are a setback for the educational system.
“Strike is a setback for us in this country. We are praying and hoping that we will have a way of resolving our issues without going on strike.”
Olatunde, who spoke glowingly of his successor, Professor Agboola Ayodeji Johnson, who was also present at the media chat, solicited the support of the university management for his successor.
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My biggest achievements as OOU VC ― Olatunji
My biggest achievements as OOU VC ― Olatunji
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