FUNAAB VC, Prof. Oluwafemi Balogun (holding mic), explaining some issues to the Pro-Chancellor, Chief Lawrence Ayinde Olakunle Osayemi (3rd Left) and other top officials of the University.
Strong indications have emerged that all things being equal, on-going projects, instituted by the present administration of the University, will be ready for commissioning before the expiration of the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun in May, this year.
Indications to this effect might not be unconnected with the fact that the contractors have improved tremendously on their performance, as compared to, when Management inspected the projects about two weeks ago.
In the same vein, the contractors have promised to deliver the projects within the next two weeks or at the latest, by the first week of May.
Situation Report:
FUNIS Access Road
According to the Director of Physical Planning Unit (PPU), Mr. Ayodele, surfacing of the road will be completed this week.
Shedding more light, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Balogun said, “We are experimenting on surfaced-dress road. If it works, we will extend it to INHURD”.
FUNIS Staff Quarters
According to Professor Balogun, the rationale behind the project is to bring members of staff of the School closer to their working place and the pupils because of the long distance to town.
The project is made up of two flats of 2-Bedrooms, each.
FUNAAB Staff School
The School building is made up of 24 classrooms, having 12 rooms each, on the first floor and on the ground floor. It has offices, two laboratories, and musical hall, among others.
The Director, PPU informed that when completed, it is expected to accommodate a maximum of 30 students in a class adding that fencing, using barb-wires had commenced.
He explained that security fencing for the School was imperative because “we realized this place is isolated”.
Speaking on the project, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Balogun said “the idea is to completely relocate our pupils since we have been given enough time by the Anglican Communion, to vacate their property”.
He informed that the School “is being built from Internally-Generated Revenue of the University and not from Federal Government grants”.
On the benefit of the project, he stated that “Everybody is now coming back to campus. This is the time we are going to have full welfare package for staff. At least, this will prevent some of our staff from taking their children to other schools, due to distance”.
Though, the contractor promised to hand-over the project in March, both the Pro-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor disagreed on the grounds that more work still needed to be done and as such, the promised completion date was not feasible.
According to the Pro-Chancellor, “We are in a hurry but we don’t want to lower standards”.
The Pro-Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and the contractor eventually settled for 1st week in May for the handing-over of the project.
Zoological Garden
The Garden’s Director, Professor Samuel Onadeko, took the inspection team to the Museum Laboratory (meant for Student’s Practical) and Zoo Museum, where different specimens were displayed.
Others were the Veterinary Section, Conference Centre, Interpretive Centre, Souvenir Shops, Offices and Cafeteria.
3,000-Seater Auditorium
Taking the inspection team round, the contractor, Engr. Davies Olowooniran, informed that glass, plumbing, electrical fittings, tiles and plastering work had been completed.
The high level of work done on the project amazed the Pro-Chancellor such that he declared, “Nobody will ever believe that within four weeks, this place could be transformed”.
“I am particularly interested in this project because immediately you entered the campus, it is the first building you will see”, he added.
Reacting, the University Bursar, Mr. Moses Ilesanmi said “It’s like a miracle”.
Also inspected were the Administrative Building of the International Scholars Centre, FUNAAB Guest House and Suite, Chancellor’s Lodge, Pro-Chancellor’s Lodge, Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge, 500-Seater Central Computer Laboratory, 2,000-Lecture Capacity Theatre, Central Car Park and Female Hostels.