1 month ago
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The Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola said the 42-year-old instauration has contributed to manpower improvement successful each assemblage of the nation’s system since its establishment
He said the instauration has grown from 5 faculties to 14 and from less than 300 students to 30,000.
In a chat with newsmen implicit the play astir OOU’s achievements, particularly nether his stewardship successful the past 2 years, Prof. Agboola noted that the instauration has experienced infrastructural uplift with the summation of courses portion each the programs of the schoolhouse person been afloat digitalized to promote online learning. He added that examinations are conducted and results are released connected time, portion salaries and pensions are being paid arsenic and erstwhile due.
“When I came in, the archetypal happening I did was to guarantee that from inception to graduation, everything is alright. Initially, 1 large occupation we had was that we didn’t cognize the fig of students we had, and this affected our planning.
“What we did was that close from the clip we were doing post-UME, aft getting each the information from JAMB, those we admitted were enactment connected our portal. We linked the portal to the Results Processing Management System truthful that students person their profiles connected the portal. With this, the students tin spot however overmuch they are to pay. When they pay, we nexus the students with our absorption system.
“All HODs, done the efforts of the DVC Accounts, indispensable person looked astatine the program they volition usage for that year, and the students conscionable spell up and registry for the courses. From there, erstwhile examinations are astir to instrumentality place, we already cognize the fig of students to delegate to introspection halls, which makes it casual to behaviour examinations.
“In the past, we utilized 5 weeks to behaviour exams, but now, wrong 2 weeks, we are through, and the students spot their results immediately. It doesn’t instrumentality clip to see the results astatine the Senate due to the fact that the students person each seen their results,” helium said.
He noted that courses similar Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing, Forensic Science, Taxation, Criminology, Library Science, Geophysics, Building Technology, Quantity Surveying, and Estate Management person been added to grow the scope of the school.
“We are moving connected introducing Food Science, Data Science, Information and Communication Technology, Software Engineering, and Cyber Security,” helium added.
The Vice Chancellor hinted that OOU is collaborating with the National Incubation and Innovation Centre, Abuja, for the entrepreneurship grooming of its students. Teams from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, and from the Federal Ministry of Education were successful the instauration to finalize arrangements for affiliation for the take-off of the enactment grooming successful the schoolhouse done the Awujale Institute of Governance.
He appreciated the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the alumni, and firm individuals who person contributed to the infrastructural improvement of the institution, stating that this has made the schoolhouse a unit to beryllium reckoned with among tertiary institutions successful the country.
“In presumption of infrastructural development, the alumni are doing highly well. The ICBM gathering was facilitated by 1 of them. In fact, the instauration was laid a week aft I got here. Again, I commissioned the Business School facilitated by 1 of the alumni members. Alhaji Saheed Fagbohun donated a 750-capacity lecture hallway for us, and it has been completed. I besides commissioned Dr. Asekun’s Resource Centre. Chief Femi Okenla’s Centre is ongoing now.
“One of the alumni besides donated a 15 KVA star strategy worthy astir N20m. Another alumni subordinate has employed 2 unit for us. One is from the United Kingdom, portion the different is from South Africa for our students’ Bio-Sensor project. He is paying them successful dollars and has besides signed an statement to employment our students erstwhile they graduate. At slightest 100 of our students are attending lectures each Friday,” helium said.
The Vice Chancellor said the instauration is collaborating with immoderate overseas universities, including Swansea University, for further grooming of its students to broaden their scope and marque them competitory astatine the planetary level.
“We are determined to guarantee that our students person what we telephone the 3 Es, which basal for Knowledge, Skills, and Value, realizing that a knowledgeable idiosyncratic should beryllium capable to further his/her education; if you are skillful, you volition beryllium employable, and also, being an leader of labor, you adhd worth to society.
“This has led to a moving narration with Swansea University and the University of Lancaster to alteration our students to further their acquisition if they privation to. Students from Agriculture and Management Science tin person portion of their studies astatine Swansea University truthful that they tin person a grade from OOU and a grade from Swansea University. We are astatine the level of matching up our program truthful that the 2 tin enactment together.
“For the University of Lancaster successful the United Kingdom, we are moving with them for Forensic Science truthful that our students tin commencement present and determination and gain 2 Degrees,” the VC added.
Prof. Agboola emphasized that the payment of students, lecturers, and unit has been paramount to his administration, with punctual outgo of wage arrears, earned allowances, cooperative nine deductions, and pension deductions.
“We person been capable to fulfill our unit unions to immoderate extent. When we came in, we contended with the issues of arrears from 2013 to 2024, contributory pension, check-off dues, and cooperative deductions. We person paid adjacent to N350m for arrears and person paid check-off dues and cooperative deductions for 3 months retired of the 7 months, and we person scheduled however we are going to wage the rest.
“The ones we deducted since I got here, we person been paying. We are not owing; it is lone the backlogs that we are trying to solve.
“In presumption of pension, we are not owing since I came here. All the deductions we made are besides being remitted. From January, arsenic we are paying one, we are besides adding to it arsenic we present person a docket to wide the backlogs,” helium explained.
He stated that the cordial narration betwixt the management, staff, and students has led to the stableness of the world calendar, allowing students to implicit their programs connected time.
While appreciating the Dapo Abiodun-led medication for supporting the institution, Prof. Agboola called for much support, arsenic the absorption has enactment strategical plans successful spot to marque the assemblage 1 of the champion not lone successful the state but besides globally.
Agboola besides disclosed that a Reviewing Committee to look into the conditions of work of non-academic unit of the instauration has been established.
This follows agitation from the non-teaching unit for the adoption of a three-year interval for promotion to the adjacent level.
He stated that the university, since its inception, has been moving connected the amendment of conditions of service, expressing anticipation that the recommendations of the Committee, made up of applicable stakeholders, would spell a agelong mode successful resolving the matter.
He said: “We person taken steps due to the fact that we cognize that erstwhile the unit are agitated, determination are immoderate things we request to do. We constituted a Reviewing Committee connected conditions of service, and each the unit unions person representatives connected the committee. They person already started asking for memoranda from members of the community, including the unit unions.
“Today, we person written to the Chairman of the Review Committee to velocity up enactment truthful that we tin reason connected time.”
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