Students rally support for VC

olamide oni

April 11, 2016 1:36 PM

The call for the arrest and probe of Prof Omole shows desperation for vendetta among the faceless people."

Obafemi Awolowo University

Student Leaders’ Alliance of Nigeria (SLAN) has passed a vote of confidence on the outgoing Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof Bamitale Omole.

The group, which comprised former students’ union leaders of higher institutions, condemned recent diatribe against the VC, saying people behind the attack knew nothing about administering the university.

TheNation reports that in a statement by SLAN’s international coordinator, Oluwaloseyi Babaeko, the group said Omole deserved the commendation for improving the academic standard of the school, adding that the global rating of OAU increased under the leadership of the outgoing VC.

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Babaeko, a Master’s student at the School of Politics and International Studies at the University of Leeds in United Kingdom, said: “The call for the arrest and probe of Prof Omole shows desperation for vendetta among the faceless people, who do not like developments brought about by the outgoing VC. Their argument is not only shallow; it is laughable, baseless and lacks merit.”

“The propaganda against Prof Omole shows that the faceless people have no knowledge of history. Rather, Prof. Bamitale Omole deserves our respect and prayers. The misguided elements want to disparage and destroy the hard-earned reputation of Prof Omole through their parochial agenda. We condemn such act in its entirety.”

The VC, Babaeko said, runs an open-door policy and makes his personal phone number available to all students.

“For those of us who have been following and monitoring the activities of the VC, we are pleased to say it anywhere that Prof Omole has done well in administering OAU, despite the time frame. We plead with the VC to forgive those wicked individuals who want to rubbish his name. Prof Omole should act like a father.”

SLAN also called for improved funding for the university, saying OAU needed resources to maintain its academic standard. The group appealed to the VC to reinstate all suspended students’ leaders.

olamide oni