Three months in office, the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole has succeeded in putting the focus and goals of his administration across to the generality of members of the Academic Community.
Investigations by FUNAAB Bulletin showed that Professor Oyewole was able to bring his programme of action to the doorsteps of members of staff and students by creating awareness and sensitizing the community on the need to key into it, in order to move the University forward.
Checks revealed that the Vice-Chancellor’s vision, which is in line with the dream of the University’s Founding Fathers centres on formulation and implementation of strategic plan, for rapid improvement in the University’s tradition of excellence and legacy of infrastructural development.
Besides, Professor Oyewole’s vision also revolves around virile collaborations with credible and highly productive cum result oriented institutions, establishments, firms and agencies, towards making FUNAAB a world class University.
His vision includes enhanced service delivery through administrative discipline, completion of 25 inherited projects within record time and fixing of challenges of essential services and facilities, particularly electricity, water and internet.
The Vice-Chancellor made it clear that his pre-occupation is to complete the 25 on-going projects and until their completion, he won’t embark on new ones.
The projects are the 3,000-capacity Auditorium; the 2,500 Computer Laboratory; the 2,000 Lecture Theatre Auditorium; the Institute for Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agriculture Research (IFSERAR) Building and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) endowed College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) Building, among others.
Findings show that during his maiden tour of Colleges and Departments in the University, Professor Oyewole challenged the leadership on the urgent need to develop and implement an independent strategic plan, in order to better their fortunes. As a matter of fact, FUNAAB Bulletin recalled that the Vice-Chancellor noted that the Handing-Over notes of Colleges were devoid of strategic plan, charging the leadership to constitute a committee for the purpose.
Similarly, the Vice-Chancellor has been challenging members of the University Community, especially the Academic staff on the need to bring in partners, for the purpose of collaborating with the University, in order to achieve mutual growth and development.
For instance, some senior staff including the Director, Centre for Internationalization and Partnerships (CENIP), Dr. Akeem Oyekanmi; Director, Grants Management, Dr. Kayode Akinyemi; Director, Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies (CENTS), Professor Kayode Bamgbose and the Deputy Dean, College of Food Science and Human Ecology (COLFHEC), Professor Lateef Sanni have been working round the clock in this regard.
Beyond the University, Professor Oyewole during his courtesy visits to the Management of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele, Abeokuta; Ogun/Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA), and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, among others, advocated the need for collaboration in the areas of security, exchange programmes, capacity building and provision of essential services.
Besides, as part of his administrative reforms, Professor Oyewole has initiated a Quality Assurance programme to strengthen discipline and enhance service delivery.
For instance, it is unacceptable for a memo to spend more than 24 hours before treating it, among others.