OAU SENATE ELECTS PROFESSOR OLUJOBA AS ACTNG VC

There was jubilation at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, as the Senate of the institution appointed Prof. Anthony Elujoba, as the acting Vice-Chancellor of OAU.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the OAU, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju.
The new acting VC was elected after polling 201 votes to defeat Prof. Adebayo Lamikanra, who scored 10 votes.
The statement partly read, “In compliance with the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari and in a spirited effort at redeeming the image of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the Senate of the university has overwhelmingly elected Prof. Anthony Elujoba as the acting Vice-Chancellor of the university.
“After more than two hours of heated debate presided over by the outgoing Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Omolayo Ajayi, the over 200 professors who came for the meeting eventually elected Prof. Elujoba with 201 votes over his compatriot, Prof. Adebayo Lamikanra, who polled 10 votes.
“The new acting vice-chancellor is an accomplished academic who has served as the Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy; Chairman, Committee of Deans and Chairman, Ceremonials Committee of the university for several years.”
There was jubilation on the campus following the election of Elujoba as workers trooped out to celebrate the appointment of the new acting VC, who the majority of them had been rooting for.
The Non-Academic Staff Union and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities at the university had embarked on a continuous protest for more than a month over the selection of a new VC for the varsity.
The two unions had accused the dissolved Governing Council of the university of violating the guidelines in appointing a vice-chancellor.
Members of the union embarked on protests and prevented the council from announcing a successor for Prof. Bamitale Omole, whose tenure expired on June 23.
The council members eventually shifted to Abuja where they announced the outgoing Deputy Vice- Chancellor ( Academics) Prof. Ayobami Salami, the new VC but NASU and SSANU prevented Salami from resuming office.
Following this, the Federal Government dissolved the governing council and suspended the process of electing a new VC. The President subsequently gave a directive that the Senate of the university should appoint an acting VC among academics in the university.