Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Osun state may be on their ways back to school in few weeks as the University’s Senate elected Anthony Adebolu Elujoba, a Professor of Pharmacognosy, as acting Vice-Chancellor of the 54-year old university following a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari.
The election of Elujoba, former Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy by the University’s Senate on Thursday put paid to the tenure of earlier elected Vice-Chancellor in substantive capacity, Professor Ayobami Salami, who was prevented by various Unions in the University, from taking Oath of Office as Vice-Chancellor at all.
It will be recalled that the workers of the University, under the agies of the Non- Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technoligists (NAAT), had protested the methods used by the dissolved Governing Council in the selection of Professor Ayobami Salami.
The protests which lasted for several weeks, grounded academic activities at the University, led to the dissolution of the Governing Council and termination of Professor Salami’s tenure, having petitioned the President who summarily ordered the University Senate to pick a man of integrity to serve as the VC in acting capacity.
A press release by Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that “after more than two hours of heated debate, presided over by the outgoing Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Omolayo Ajayi, the over two hundred Professors who came for the meeting eventually elected Professor Elujoba with 201 votes over his compatriot, Professor Adebayo Lamikanra, who polled less than 10 votes.”
According to Olarewaju, the new acting Vice Chancellor, is an accomplished academic who had served as the Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy; Chairman, Committee of Deans and Chairman, Ceremonials Committee of the University for several years.
Olarewaju was also quoted by BusinessDay to have said, “The workers who were jubilating at the choice of Professor Elujoba led him in a convoy of cars, while others were treking, to Senate car park which the workers had rechristened Freedom Park.
