The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole has reiterated the need for the intensification of formal collaboration with the Federal College of Education (FCE), Osiele, Abeokuta, in the areas of security, staff exchange, linkages, and academic development.
The Vice-Chancellor stated this when he paid a courtesy call on the Provost of the College, Dr. Adetayo Ajayi.
Professor Oyewole had declared that “Nigeria is at a point now where leadership should be responsive to the needs of our time
and I believe that we (himself and the Provost) have that same great vision, to move our institutions forward”.
The Vice-Chancellor pointed out that “our students live in the same community. We have many things to do together such that if we have to develop our people, and our community, we need to collaborate”.
Buttressing the need for collaboration, especially in the area of security, Professor Oyewole stated that “we share the same security challenges. We need to collaborate on that and this is the more reason why I invited our Chief Security Officer (CSO), to interact with your CSO”.
anvassing for patronage for the just-completed University’s International Scholars’ Centre, the Vice-Chancellor added: “whenever you have external examiners and seminars, you don’t need to go to town. We have a 24 room en-suite Hotel, which will comfortably accommodate them”.
Responding, the Provost, Dr. Ajayi expressed the readiness of FCE to collaborate with FUNAAB in the areas of academic and administrative endeavours.
“We have serious challenges, following the withdrawal of our security personnel as a result of Federal Government’s policy on outsourcing of some services. I want to assure you that we are ready for collaboration on the issue of security”, he stated.
The Provost The Provost assured that FCE will “continue to sustain and even improve on our tradition of excellence”.
Professor Oyewole noted that FUNAAB had grown in leaps and bounds in the area of academic and infrastructural development.
He attributed the rapid development to the contributions of his predecessors, especially, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Professor Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun, whom he described as the initiator of the University’s recent profile.
According to him, “I can’t but appreciate my predecessors, most especially, Professor Oluwafemi Olaiya Balogun for a wonderful job. I want to appreciate Professor Balogun’s great work. His vision and great work … we too are committed to”, he stated.
Prof. Oyewole expressed the readiness of FUNAAB to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with FCE on the latter’s ownership of a piece of land in the Camp area, which the University’s Management Committee on Transport (MANCOT) presently use as the students’ bus park.
