From LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, has restated the commitment of his administration towards ensuring that the University does not lose any academic session as a result of the COVID-19-imposed long closure of the University last year, a situation that has prolonged the ongoing 2019/2020 academic session.
Prof. Abdulkareem gave this assurance at the weekend,while speaking at the annual Iftar organised for journalists at his residence.
While appreciating the fact that the truncation of the session was not peculiar to the University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdulkareem said that the University had perfected an arrangement through which the effect of the eruption of Coronavirus pandemic and the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which altered the University’s academic calendar, will be mitigated.
The Vice-Chancellor, who was visibly elated that the University’s invitation was honoured by members of the press despite the torrential rainfall, which occurred a few hours before the scheduled event, said that both the management and staff of the University would work assiduously to remedy the situation by closing the gap created by the closure of the institution, like others, for most part of last year.
Prof. Abdulkareem explained that the decision to that effect was taken by the Senate of the University earlier that day (Thursday, May 6, 2021). saying that the University’s highest decision making organ, which comprised the management staff, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Deans of Faculties, Heads of Department and all Professors, took the decision to ensure that the characteristic stability in the institution’s academic calendar is restored in the interest of students who would want to run their programmes and get them concluded as scheduled.
The Vice-Chancellor, who thanked the media for the consistent coverage of the institution’s activities before and since his assumption of office, also recalled some of the glorious achievements of his administration in the last one year.
He explained that his administration has been able to restore confidence in the staff of the University many of whom had suffered career stagnation over the years for no fault of theirs. He pointed out that while many non-teaching staff have enjoyed promotions since he assumed the position, no fewer than 171 academic staff of the University have also been elevated to the Professorial cadre.
While saying that the development has cost the University so much in view of the increment in remunerations due to the benefitting staff, the Vice-Chancellor said that the difference in the sum committed is worth it as the promotion exercises had understandably encouraged and sustained the campus peace and staff productivity.
Speaking on projects and physical development of the institution, Prof. Abdulkareem, who is also the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), said that his administration has embarked on the reconstruction and asphalt laying of the road connecting the institution’s campus to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). He explained that about 650 meters of the road had been completed while the remaining portions would also be done and completed soon.
The award-winning Professor of Chemical Engineering also said that the institution has embarked on the execution of 15 different projects on campus through the assistance of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFund),saying that all the Faculties have benefitted in one way or the other from project allocation or renovation. He specifically stated that each of the Departments at the Faculty of Engineering and Technology would soon have their separate buildings as works on them are progressing steadily.
Professor Abdulkareem also announced that the newly constructed building of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, which is almost completed, would soon be put to use as it would be commissioned in a short while as he said that so many modern toilets have also been erected across the campus to ensure the health and safety of members of the University community.
The renowned scholar also said that his administration has concluded arrangements to embark on the construction of what he called “a triangular road network that would be extended to the Faculties of Arts and Law from the NOC Junction to address the challenge of perennial erosion on that part of the campus. He explained that his administration decided to embark on the project with the sum of N150 million it earlier won from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for emerging as the most subscribed University and the University with the highest number of foreign students in Nigeria.
While disclosing that the University currently has the highest number of computers among its peer in the country, which encouraged virtual learning, Prof. Abdulkareem also said that the University has committed so much resources to the extension of internet facilities to its various campuses.
Responding to a question, the Vice-Chancellor appealed to the Federal Government to lift its embargo on staff recruitment so that the University can engage the services of new hands to replace those who had and would soon go on retirement. He said the increasing reduction in the number of staff as a result of retirement and resignation from the services of the University was becoming too many as it affected almost every Unit of the institution. He, therefore, said that since the University cannot be sustained with the engagement and services of sabbatical staff, it should be given the privilege of engaging its own staff who would show total commitment to the running of the institution.
Prof. Abdulkareem also urged the Federal Government to provide more funding to the University in order to stock with more materials that would enhance practical teaching and impactful learning instead of what he called the preponderance of “learning by imagination”. He explained that the Government Secondary School, Ilorin, which he attended between the late 1960s and early 1970s, had more laboratory equipment than most contemporary universities in the country, a development he said would not augur well for the nation.
Reacting to another question on the issuance of academic transcript, the Vice-Chancellor said that the University is working round the clock to ensure that the academic record of those who attended the institution are made available to them as soon as such is requested. He said the issue of the prompt issuance of transcripts is one of the cardinal projects of the institution’s current administration.
The Vice-Chancellor also said that the University is working hard to ensure that members of the University community are given adequate protection. He added that no stone is being left unturned at ensuring that the University does not experience many of the security challenges that seem to have become the order of the day in most parts of the country as he urged the government to ensure that all those involved are brought to book promptly to serve as deterrent to others.
On sports development, Prof Abdulkareem assured the country that the University would continue to host the National Youth Games as it has done in the past. He added that an agreement that would extend the hosting right beyond his tenure would be signed, saying that the University has more than enough facilities to host the fiesta continuously.
The Iftar was attended by the institution’s Director of Advancement Centre who doubles as the Chairman of the Editorial Board of UNILORIN BULLETIN, Prof. Lukman Adeshina Azeez; the Director of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, Mr. Kunle Akogun; the Station Manager, UNILORIN 89.3 FM, Mr Idris Akintola Ibrahim (Alooma) the Chairman, Kwara State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Mr. Umar Abdulwahab; the National Financial Secretary of NUJ, Mallam Biodun Abdulkareem; and the Chairman of the NUJ Correspondent Chapel, Kwara State, Mr. Abdulhakeem Garba; among other correspondents of media establishments in the country.