L-R: In-coming VC, Prof. Olusola Oyewole; Out-going VC, Prof. Oluwafemi Balogun; SSANU National President, Com. Samson Ugwoke; NLC Deputy National President, Com. Promise Adewusi; DVC (A), Prof. Toyin Arowolo; Director, DEM, Mr. Emmanuel Bankole; SSANU Chairman, Com. Abdussobur Salaam and the CERECOM Chairman, Prof. Tunde Idowu during the Valedictory Congress held in honour of the out-going VC.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), has honoured the out-going Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun at a Valedictory Congress, held in his honour, for a successful completion of tenure.
Speaking at the Ceremony, the National President, SSANU, Mr. Samson Ugwoke, described the out-going Vice-Chancellor as a lover of equity and justice, adding that he was the first Vice-Chancellor to introduce the Directorate system in Nigerian Universities.
The Union leader noted that the Directorate system had made many University administrators to get to the peak of their careers, by eliminating problems that often arose during the appointments of Principal Officers, especially, Registrars and Bursars.
Mr. Ugwoke noted that “FUNAAB now have four Directors in the Registry Department and three in the Bursary”.
He commended the out-going Vice-Chancellor for transforming the University; physically and academically without complaining of shortage of funds, adding that if every Vice-Chancellor in the country can efficiently utilise the Federal Government’s allocations, the rot experienced in the tertiary educational sector will be reduced.
Ugwoke told the Vice-Chancellor-designate, Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole that “taking over from an achiever is always challenging but God will make you to take FUNAAB to greater heights”.
The Deputy National President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Promise Adewusi stated that the Valedictory Congress was the manifestation of the goodness of an achiever. He commended the high level of rapport between Management and Staff Unions, saying that equity, fairness and justice were already institutionalized in FUNAAB.
“It is better to be celebrated at exit than to be celebrated at entry; Professor Balogun will not be in a position to dish out favours again and people are still celebrating him”, he stated.
Earlier in his address, the Chairman, SSANU-FUNAAB Branch, Comrade Abdussobur Salaam said SSANU took the initiative of being the first Union in FUNAAB to honour the out-going Vice-Chancellor, for his sterling leadership acumen.
“Unionism has gone beyond brigandage, violence, selective criticisms but cooperation and collaboration between the employer and the employees”, he noted.
He attributed the unprecedented infrastructural and manpower development to the robust relationship, existing between Management and the Union, facilitated by the out-going Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun.
Responding, Professor Balogun reminisced that since 1979, when he joined the University system, this was the first time he would witness any Staff Union, celebrating a Vice-Chancellor.
“What I am doing is a normal thing, if we all are doing the right thing in terms of performance. It is the outstanding person that we will be looking out for”, he stated.
He admonished the University community to sustain the existing momentum of excellence, discipline and transparency.