Abayomi said not even double of what AAUA get from the government is sufficient, but as a Council, they would continue to impact on the government to improve on the funding,
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) in Ondo State, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, has pleaded with the state government to consider a new template that would meet the current funding of the University.
Abayomi made the plea in an exclusive interview with the Information Unit of the University after the Inaugural Meeting of the 7th Governing Council on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.
The Pro-Chancellor stressed that the impact of inadequate funding on a university cannot be over-emphasised saying “Not even double of what we get from the government is sufficient and we all know why. But as a Council, we will continue to impact on the government to improve on the funding, especially on the special needs of the University.”
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Abayomi noted that the 7th Council would, among other things, focus on how to make the Business School function maximally; expand AAUA in terms of new programmes; improve academic rating for global relevance; and enhanced staff welfare.
According to him, his second coming as Pro-Chancellor would enable him to contribute more to the development of the University and the state at large.
He urged staff members of AAUA to double their commitment and dedication to their duties, and to deepen cooperation with Management in order to engender a University everyone can be proud of
His words: “I call on everyone to put in more efforts to move the Institution forward. We should produce research papers that would be referenced globally and, thus, improve the global rating of Adekunle Ajasin University.
“We should not be satisfied with being the Best State University, but one of the very best of all varsities in Nigeria and in Africa. That should be a legacy we all should pursue and bequeath to future generations.”
While speaking on how he fared during his first term in office, the Council Chair said, “I had good working relationships with members of Council and members of the University community, which, of course, helped us to achieve some feats. Our major achievement at the 6th Council is the building of our world-class Business School in Akure that was inaugurated early this year by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN.”
Earlier at the Inaugural Meeting, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, had sought the support of the 7th Governing Council to achieve the set goals for the University.
He said, “As Management, we seek your support and cooperation to deepen our academic activities and integrity through purposeful teaching and robust research; continuously upgrade our academic support facilities; improve on our Internally-Generated Revenue; rebrand and promote the image of the University; improve on staff and students’ welfare, including security of lives and property; foster healthy industrial relations with staff unions; and advance community service and engagement.”