By Oluwakemi Ishola
The Immediate past Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Ibadan and a top contender in the Vice Chancellorship race Professor Adeyinka Abideen Aderinto on Thursday promised to make the premier University solution center to Nigeria’s problems.
According to him, Nigeria will be running to UI for solutions to its problem while promising to ensure that the premier university contributes to policy development, debates and engagements.
He stated this while presenting his programs and visions at the community forum alongside 17-other candidates organised by the ASUU, SSANU, NASU and Student Union Chaired by Dr Yemi Faroumbi.
No fewer than fifteen Vice Chancellorship candidates jostling to become the 13th vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan made presentations where they chorused underfunding and infrastructure limitation as impediments to the actualisation of full potentials of the Premier University.
They included Professors Adeyinka Aderinto, Remi-Raji, Kayode Adebowale, Bunmi Olaopa, Olatunde Kalilu, C.O.O Kolawole, Raheem Lawal, Oladele Layiwola, Olusegun Ademowo, Akeem Fawehinmi, Babatunde Lateef Adeleke, Kolapo Hamzat among others.
They all identified the problems of welfare, instability in academic calendar, problems of research, technology and electricity but promised to aggressively turn the tide to reposition the university of Ibadan to academic leadership in Africa and globally.
In his presentation, immediate past Deputy Vice chancellor (academic), Professor Adeyinka Aderinto, who promised to pursue aggressive fund mobilisation stated that UI will be repositioned to professor solutions to Nigeria’s problems.
According to him, UI will be positioned to present position papers on government policies and offer workable solutions to the problems of corruption, poverty, unemployment and insecurity.
Professor Kayode Adebowale who is the current Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) promised to encourage town and gown and strengthen internally generated revenue.
Professor Aderemi Raji-Oyelade vowed to pursue proactive welfare system which will discourage industrial strike and engender collaborative re-focusing research for a post-oil economy.
While professor Kolapo Hamzat promised technology driven and research intensive university which will empower graduates to be self sufficient.
Professors Alonge, Kalilu, Salau, Raheem Lawal and Babatunde Adeleke all promised to reinvigorate the university as a world class and truly international institution which can compete globally.
Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Dr Yemi Faroumbi, charged whoever emerges as the 13th Vice Chancellor not to “abandon yesterday and today” but to consolidate and build on the strength of yesterday and today.
According to him, the University of Ibadan should offer fresh hope for Nigeria and adding that the best of University of Ibadan must be its tomorrow and not her past and “must add value to this institution”.
