NASS delaying renaming of FUOYE, VC laments

Kamarudeen Ogundele, Ado Ekiti

The Federal University, Oye Ekiti, has absolved itself of blame in the delay in the renaming of the university after the late military governor of the defunct Western Region, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, said available information indicated that the National Assembly was responsible for the delay.

He stated this while briefing journalists after the 7th Matriculation Ceremony of the university on Thursday in Ado Ekiti.

Soremekun was represented at the briefing by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina.

It will be recalled that the Federal Government had in May 2017, through the then acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, announced the renaming of FUOYE as Adeyinka Adebayo Federal University.

Soremekun said, “We have written letters to the Federal Government and they told us the National Assembly will have to do something about it. We are following up, it is not our making; it has to go through the processes of law.”

He said authorities of the institution had taken a number of actions, including writing letters of reminder to the appropriate quarters, adding, however, that there were assurances that the Federal Government would soon follow up on its promise to rename the university.

Soremekun said a total of 5,483 fresh students participated in the matriculation against 3,310 of previous session.

He urged the new students to shun cultism by facing their studies squarely and refuse to be influenced by shady characters.

“Though we are a young and growing university, we are on track for accelerated growth, development and excellent achievements

“We have also commenced school of post-graduate studies since January 2018 with the National Universities Commission giving us full accreditation for 27 programmes and partial accreditation for 18 programmes.

“We are also unwavering in our resolve to make the university a household name in the nation’s education sector,” Soremekun added.

According to him, the institution is currently the only federal university operating a multi-campus system at both Oye Ekiti and Ikole Ekiti, and that it had moved from its initial 512 students in 2011, to 12,163 in 2018.

“We have moved from four faculties and 29 departments to seven faculties and 49 departments.

“Our drive to make the university a huge construction centre will receive a boost in the coming months so as to add to the current speed of physical infrastructural development on campus,” he said.