The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has set interim vice chancellors of the two newly established universities in the state.
While Idowu Okuneye, Professor of Education, will serve as Acting Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Ijanikin, Oluremi Olaleye, PhD holder in Microbiology, will serve in the same capacity at Lagos State University . of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu.
The appointment, according to Mr. Sanwo-Olu’s special adviser on education, Tokunbo Wahab, will be for a period of three months.
Wahab, who confirmed the development to the PREMIUM TIMES reporter in a brief message, did not provide details.
However, it is not clear whether the process for the appointment of substantive vice-chancellors for the universities would have been initiated and concluded before the expiration of the three-month term.
new appointments
Ms. Okuneye, a former Professor at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, was also the Chancellor of the former Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin.
She will be assisted as interim deputy vice-chancellor by the former chancellor of the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Epe, Nasiru Onibon.
Mr. Onibon, holder of a doctoral certificate in Arabic Language Studies, was a professor in the Department of Foreign Languages at LASU until his appointment as director of MOCPED.
For his part, Mr. Olaleye, former rector of LASPOTECH, will be assisted by Olumide Mtilelu and Kola Godonu as deputy vice-chancellors as academic and administrative managers, respectively.
Confirming the development to PREMIUM TIMES by phone, Ms. Okuneye thanked the Governor and Mr. Wahab for finding them worthy of laying a solid foundation for the new institutions.
‘Universities ready for new entrants’
According to Ms. Okuneye, LASUED is prepared to admit new entrants for its degree programs, saying that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has listed the two new institutions among the ivory towers available for the Unified Matriculation Examination. Tertiary (UTME) of 2022 that has been scheduled to be held in May.
The acting VC also spoke about what new things to expect from the institution, including calling on relevant stakeholders to support the government’s vision of building “a strong future for the next generations through better education.” quality and impact-driven.
She said: “Before now, we were raining down professional teachers at the lower level leading up to the NCE award. But now we are going to train higher-level professional teachers and they are going to be awarded degree certificates.
“And for those currently in our NCE program, instead of graduating after three years, they will now be graduating after an additional three years, taking six years to acquire their B.ed. certificates. And prior to their convocation, they would have been registered with the Teachers Registry of Nigeria (TRCN).”
She said the transmutation has been smooth all along and called on the institution’s staff and students to support “the drive toward excellence.”
In tenure of 3 months
The acting deputy foreign minister also spoke about the government’s decision to offer the new directors of the two institutions only three months in office.
He said that the government knew why it made the decision and that it must be in the interest of the institutions.
“Sincerely, the government has been very passionate about this project and they know very well what is good for the institution. It’s a trial period, and I think we’re just taking the pulse. Therefore, it is in the wisdom of the government to do what it thinks is best for us.”
background
The National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria’s regulatory body in charge of universities, presented operating licenses for the two universities to Mr. Sanwo-Olu in early February as a mark of the completion of the establishment processes.
NUC Executive Secretary Abdulrasheed Abubakar also told the governor that the agency had communicated to the appropriate government education agencies, including JAMB, Tertiary Education Trust Find (TETFund), and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others, of the two additional universities. .
Although LASUSTECH is a transmutation of what has existed until now (LASPOTECH), the latter is the product of the transmutation of both the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, and the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Epe .
Also speaking during the license presentation, Mr. Wahab said the government would speed up actions to ensure new students return to the university for the 2022/2023 academic session.
However, he added that the new development marks the end of the admission of candidates to the hitherto existing National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) and National Certificate in Education (NCE) programs offered by LASPOTECH, AOCOED and MOCPED. .
advertisements