…Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (centre) and his deputy, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo (third right) flanked by members of the Technical University of Ibadan Development Committee shortly after their inauguration at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Ibadan on Monday. They are Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin (left), Prof. Isaac Adewole (second left), Prof. Oladapo Afolabi (third left), Prof. Solomon Olaniyonu (second right) and Prof. Femi Balogun (right).
…From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan…
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Monday took a major step towards the formal take-off of the state-owned Technical University, Ibadan, with the inauguration of a 14-man Development Committee.
The committee, with a former Head of Service of the Federation, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi as its Chairman, has the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, the acting Vice-Chancellor of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin and the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Femi Balogun as members.
Other members included a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Femi Bamiro, a renowned economist, Prof. Ademola Ariyo, a former Rector of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Prof. Adeniyi Osuntogun, Prof. Dan Adebiyi and Prof. A. M. A. Imevbore.
The state Commissioners for Education, Finance and Justice, as well as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure/Urban Development and the Director of Higher Education in the state Ministry of Education are also members of the committee.
Governor Ajimobi, while speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, described the new university as one of the flagship projects of his administration in its efforts at reclaiming the foremost position of the state in the education sector.
He said that some steps had been taken towards ensuring the smooth take-off of the institution which included the academic brief, the master plan, the conceptual plan, physical design, signing of memorandum of understanding between the university and the Texas Technical University, Lubbock, USA as well as the implementation plan for the development of the institution.
While stating that all the above had already been accomplished, the governor added that what remained was to ensure their quality delivery, which he said, necessitated the inauguration of the development committee.
“It is in this regard that I have decided to select a few men of good quality and experience to midwife the development of the university and constitute its development committee,’’ he said.
Governor Ajimobi stated that pending the constitution of the Governing Council, the committee would exercise the full powers of the Council as contained in the laws setting up the institution.
In his vote of thanks on behalf of the members, Prof. Adewole thanked the governor for choosing them as members of the committee, promising to discharge their duties to the best of their ability.