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BIYI SAMUEL/ AKURE
The Federal University of Technology Akure, (FUTA) has appointed Prof. Joseph Fuwape as the 7 th Vice Chancellor of the Institution.
According to him, the University can only achieve her desired goals in a peaceful environment by working together to restructure the Academic Curriculum.
He how ever noted that, ”in all the struggle, there is no winner, that is no victor, no vanguished” adding that ”we should all put heads together, do our best to put FUTA on the lime light of achievers”.
He said: “I declare that I belong to every union on this campus including the students’ union for the next five years without prejudice to my primary constituency as a member of Academic Staff Union of Universities, FUTA branch. FUTA as a family university must operate as one and we must not allow individual differences to create division among us.
The non-teaching staff under the auspices of Joint Action Congress (JAC), comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academics Technologists (NAAT) and Non Academic Staff Unions (NASU) who were clearly in the majority, booed Daramola throughout the valedictory service held in his honour.
Besides, his valedictory speech was disrupted by the noise of the non-teaching staff, who had been at loggerhead with the management for the past seven months.
But Daramola received applause from the local branch of the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) and students present at the ceremony, who hailed him intermittently.
However, the newly inaugurated VC, Fuwape, who spoke after he was inaugurated by the Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Senator Joseph Waku promised to build on the achievements of his predecessors in office.
Prof. Fuwape described his appointment as a call to serve humanity and ”my father land”, quoting 1 Corinthians 13; 11; ”when I was a child——-”, he further pledged to put away all youthful behaviours and think as an adult”
He also promised to create an enabling environment for Staff on the job trainings to attain academic excellence by providing exemplary leadership by re aligning and working together as a team.
In his valecditry speech, the out going Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adebiyi Gregory Daramola commended the Senate for the rancor free selection process of the new Vice Chancellor.
He therefore called on Prof. Fuwape to bring bis wealth of experience to bear to raise FUTA to a greater height, pointing that the new VC and the Chairman of Council should note that the University belongs to them all and should not take any action that will bring it to retrogression.
He later handed over three documents to the new VC which include FUTA Master Plan, Strategic plan for 2016__2017 academic session and a Handing over note.
