Elujoba is OAU acting VC

                   

A SIXTY-eight –year-old professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Obafemi Awolowo University Ife, Anthony Elujoba, yesterday is the university’s acting vice chancellor.

Elujoba, an indigene of Ife, defeated his opponent, Adebayo Lamikanra, with 201 to 10 votes cast by the university senate members.

Lamikanra is also a professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy.

But the university workers received the news with mixed feelings.

Some described Elujoba’s election as excellent. Others alleged that his choice was staged-managed by “the cabal” in the university.

Those opposing Elujoba argued that the institution’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Omolayo Ajayi, should have been picked.

A member of the senate, who preferred anonymity, said age did not favour Elujoba since he would be 70 in two years and would not be to able vie for the substantive position.

It was gathered that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, “was prominently instrumental to the choice of Elujoba.

Local NASU Chairman Comrade Wole Odewunmi described the development as perfect.

He urged the new acting VC to work hard to keep making the university “outstanding”.

Efforts to speak with the chapter’s Academic Staff Union of Universities’ chairman, Dr. Caleb Aborisade, were abortive.

The university’s spokesman, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, in a statement, said: “After more than two hours of heated debate presided over by the outgoing Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Omolayo Ajayi, over 200 professors elected Prof. Elujoba with 201 votes over his compatriot, Prof. Lamikanra, who polled less than 10 votes.”

Authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife has ratified the appointment of Professor Ayobami Taofeek Salami as the new vice chancellor of the institution.

Prof. Salami was the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the institution. He graduated with a B.Sc degree (2nd Class Upper division) from (then) University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) in 1986 before he bagged an M.Sc degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in 1989 with a specialty in Land use and Natural Resources Management. He capped it up with a Ph.D degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 1996 having obtained, in 1990, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Remote Sensing Applications: Training in Environmental Data Generation/Handling and Geographic Information System.

A widely travelled academic, the new Vice-chancellor (Academic) became a Professor on the 1st of October, 2003. The New VC (Academic) was the secretary, Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) OAU branch from 2000 – 2002, and two term member of OAU Governing Council from 2003 –2007. He worked as a Senior Research Adviser, Corporate Environment Department, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nigeria from 2010 – 2011 as a Sabbatical Staff. Prof. Salami has attended short training Courses in many countries Including Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Canada and U.S.A. He has also had teaching and research experiences in The Gambia, Tanzania and The Netherlands. Professor Salami is happily married with three children. Until his new appointment, Professor Salami was the Head of Space Applications and Environmental Science Laboratory (SPAEL) and Coordinator, Climate Modeling Unit, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, OAU, Ile-Ife. He was the Director of the Institute of Ecology from 2006 – 2010. - See more at: http://www.oaupeeps.com/2016/06/breaking-oau-gets-new-vice-chancellor.html#sthash.4WSPAesE.dpuf