Authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Wednesday, inaugurated its 11th substantive Vice Chancellor, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, to pilot the activities of the institution.
The development came as the former Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Anthony Elujoba, in his valedictory speech appealed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release his international passport, which was impounded during investigation into the payment of N1 billion hazard allowance paid to the workers of the institution last year.
Commending the staff and students of OAU for their solidarity rally and protest while he was detained by the EFCC, Elujoba stated: “Even when I was detained but eventually released that same day in the night through the intervention of some well meaning, righteous and highly placed Nigerians, I still met members of all the various unions at the Senate car park in Ife, keeping vigil of prayers for my release.”
Appealing to the EFCC on his passport, Elujoba said: “As for the EFCC, I must say that I am seriously handicapped by inaccessibility to my international passport presently in their hands, which I need for my various intellectual assignments frequently as an international herbal scientist.”
“I have not stolen one kobo of anybody rather, I have donated personal cash into the endowment fund of the university; as acting VC, I paid for my electricity consumption regularly, settle my bills in the university guest houses in Lagos and Abuja. I returned my own productivity bonus into the university account.”
While tasking the new VC to do the right thing in moving the university forward, the former acting VC said, “it is common knowledge within and outside our campus that law enforcement agents were once called upon when it became clearly necessary. This was very disappointing and I plead with the university authorities to do the right thing in order to stop such behaviours, vandalism and unintellectual behaviour in an institution of this status.”
In his remark, the substantive VC, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, maintained that his management would ensure an immediate curriculum review of all academic programmes in the university, with a view to bring them in line with current development and standard, adding that “emphasis will be placed on training, job creators and not merely job seekers.”
He stated: “I will fervently pursue the upgrade of African Institute for Science Policy and Innovation (AISPI) to a regional hub for science, technology and innovation, and will encourage linking of the institute with other African and Northern partners with proving capacity in science policy and innovation.”
At the inauguration of Ogunbodede, which was also attended by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, among other dignitaries, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of OAU, Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, said the occasion marked a new era in the history of the institution.
He emhasised that “the installation of Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede as the new substantive VC, through a process that had been widely accepted as fair and transparent, will usher in a new beginning here, one that should bring us together as one family, in our giant collective step towards the repositioning of our university for the 21st century.”