The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka has emphasised that students’ welfare has always been of his concern ever since he took appointment with the University.
The Vice-Chancellor mentioned this at the interview he recently granted UCJUI on Tuesday, 9th August, 2016 at his office located in the University.
Prof. Olayinka stated that he had always had a good rapport with students at various platforms of interactions occasioned by the different administrative positions he had held in the University.
He enumerated the various positions which included being a lecturer in the department of Geology, the Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Science, the Sub-Dean in the Post Graduate School, the Dean of Post-Graduate School, the Deputy Vice Chancellor as well as the Vice Chancellor of the University.
“I remember when I first joined the department, any time they asked the students to indicate their prospective supervisors, about 90 percent of them would say they want Olayinka… not necessarily because Olayinka was the most intelligent lecturer in the department but because they had access to me,” Prof. Olayinka said.
The 12th Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan used the occasion to comment once more on the controversy which surrounded his statement that “staffs are his number one priority” as he reiterated that being number two secondary.
“If I want to count you now, I’ll say one, two, three, four, five. Being number one does not mean you’re superior to number two. Even if you have a set of twins, you say Taiwo and Kehinde, you cannot mention the two at the same time; one will have to be mentioned first,” remarked Prof. Olayinka.
The V.C. went on, “Even if I say staffs are my number one priority, why is that one the problem of students? If we have excellent staff here, are they not going to teach the students better?”
