The Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, has approved the appointment of three new Principal Officers, in substantive capacities, for the University. The Principal Officers-designates are: Professor Felix Kolawole Salako, Vice-Chancellor; Dr. Hakeem Adebola Adekola, Registrar; and Mr. Chukwunwike Ezekpeazu, Bursar.
According to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the University, Dr. (Barr.) Aboki Zhawa, “The process was guided by rules, regulations and the Act (establishing the University). We were guided by provisions of the Act, the rules of the University and Federal Character. We, as a Council, decided to set up the committee that will do the screening for the Council. It was after screening that the Technical Committee was mandated to look at the applicants; to see if they have complied with the spirit of the advertisement. The Technical Committee came up with a good list and they presented to the Selection Board. Having looked at the list, we made a recommendation to the Council and it approved the list and the other recommendations that were submitted”..
The Vice-Chancellor-designate, Professor Felix Salako, was born in Lagos State in 1961 and hails from Ibadan, Oyo State. A Professor of Soil Physics in the Department of Soil Science and Land Management, College of Plant Science and Crop Production (COLPLANT) of the University, he attended the famous Apostolic Church Grammar School, Orishigun, where bagged his West African School Certificate Education under Division One, as well as the Igbobi College, Lagos; the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he obtained his B. Agric (Hons) and M.Sc degrees in Soil Science in 1983 and 1986, respectively before proceeding to the University of Ibadan, where he bagged his PhD Degree in Soil Science, in 1997.
Professor Salako joined the services of FUNAAB in 2000 as a Senior Lecturer and moved up the academic ladder to become a Professor in 2006. He had served the University on many fronts, which include: Head of Department, Soil Science and Land Management; Director, Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre; Pioneer Director, Centre for Community-Based Farming Scheme and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Development, for two terms. He has to his credit, over 80 publications in books/monographs, articles in learned journals, papers in referred conference proceedings and technical reports. He had equally supervised more than 50 students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in addition to being external examiners to several notable universities.
Professor Salako belongs to a number of professional associations and learned societies such as the International Society of Agricultural Meteorology; Soil Science Society of Nigeria; Agricultural Society of Nigeria; Soil and Water Conservation Society, United States of America and had delivered papers at many local and international conferences, seminars and workshops. Notable academic laurels won by him include the Best Student Prize in Soil Science (1982 – 1983) Graduating Set of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Marquis’ Who-is-Who in Science and Engineering (8th Edition) and Chief War Marshall, Man O’ War Club of Nigeria.
He is currently the Southwestern Nigeria Co-ordinator (2016-2021), African Cassava Agronomy Initiative, taking Agronomy to Scale in Sub-Saharan Africa (ACAI) for the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria; a project that has impacted the University and the society at large. Professor Salako, a Jerusalem Pilgrim, was honoured with the chieftaincy titles of the Asoluderoof Iwoye-Ketu and the Bobatolu of Isaga-Orile; Ogun State, in recognition of his immense contributions to the development of the two communities, among other laurels.
The Registrar-designate, Dr. Hakeem Adekola, was born in Lagos on January 12, 1968, is a native of Ogun Waterside, Ogun State. He attended Community High School, Ibiade, Ogun State for his secondary education, between 1980 and 1985. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History; Master of Personnel Psychology and a Doctorate Degree in Applied Psychology (Personnel Psychology option), from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, in 1989, 1997 and 2006, respectively. He was employed as an Administrative Officer II by the Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) in September 1991. He rose through the ranks to become a Deputy Registrar in October 2007 in the same university. He was later appointed as the Pioneer Registrar of the Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State in 2007 and served out his tenure on April 30, 2012.
Dr. Adekola’s work experience has transversed different aspects of university administration such as faculty offices, senate affairs, academic planning units, committees and the vice-chancellor’s office. He belongs to several professional bodies, including the Association of Nigerian Universities Professional Administrators (ANUPA); Association of American University Administrators, United Kingdom (AUA,UK); Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) of Nigeria; and Chartered Institute of Civilian Administration, Ghana (CIDA, Ghana), among others. He has attended many local and international conferences and has to his credit, several academic, professional publications as well as teaching experiences. Until his appointment, he was the Deputy Registrar-in-Charge of Senate Affairs at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.
The Bursar-designate, Mr. Chukwunwike Ezekpeazu, was born on February 2, 1960 in Onitsha, Anambra State. He attended popular Christ the King College, Onitsha; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he obtained both his B.Sc (Hons) Degree in Accountancy and Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) Banking and Finance in 1981 and 2005, respectively. He has a robust career in accounting, having attended many conferences in his field of specialisation. He belongs to leading professional associations and institutes such as the Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA); and Fellow, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI); among others. Mr. Ezekpeazu was a former Bursar at the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja and was a Visiting Bursar on Sabbatical at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, before he was appointed as Bursar in FUNAAB. All the appointees are happily married and blessed with children.
