Olanipekun, who also reiterated his
administration’s zero-tolerance for corruption and indiscipline among staff
members and students, lauded the institution’s Governing Council “for
supporting us in our quest to rid the school of impunity.”
The VC, who spoke at a press conference on
the weeklong combined 25th and 26th convocation and the 40th anniversary of the
university billed for March 29 and 30, reiterated his commitment to the
entrenchment of morals and values in the institution.
Olanipekun said 278 students bagged first
class degrees among the 16,433, who would be conferred with diplomas, bachelor
degrees, post-graduate diplomas, masters’ and doctors of philosophy degrees.
“Graduands at the 25th and 26th convocation
ceremonies will be issued students’ copies of their academic transcripts
alongside their certificates. Necessary mechanisms have now been put in place
to clear the backlog of manually processed transcripts,” the VC stated.
He added that eminent Nigerians, including
a former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande; the Central Bank of Nigeria
Governor, Godwin Emefiele; legal luminary, Chief Wole Olanipekun; human rights
lawyer, Mr Femi Falana; Chief Executive Officer, BOVAS Petroleum Mrs Victoria
Samson; Air Vice Marshal Rufus Ojuawo (retd), Tope Adebayo; award-winning
singer, Mr Folarin Falana; and politician, Soji Ehinlawo, would be conferred
with honorary awards at the convocation.
Olanipekun said, “A number of appointments
and promotions have been made in the university since I assumed office in
August 2019. A total number of 72 professors, 82 readers and 174 other academic
staff members were either appointed or promoted as the case may be in addition
to promotions in the non-teaching cadre cutting across senior and junior
categories.
“A lot of workers, both in the academic and
non-academic levels, have been dismissed, some are still on suspension. Some
students have been rusticated, while some are placed on suspension. We won’t
spare anybody, no matter how highly placed.”
Olanipekun said the university had been
breaking new grounds in the last 40 years, particularly under his leadership in
the areas of awards, academic discourses and breakthrough researches by
lecturers and students.
He added that the internally generated
revenue of the university had been prudently appropriated, adding that proceeds
were expended on the construction of a skills acquisition and entrepreneurship
study centre, extension of the EKSU water factory, and asphalting of a linkage
road from the College of Medicine to the Sandwich Village.
The VC stated that his team had also worked
hard to move the university from number 157 to 14 on the Webometric ranking
among the ivory towers in the country.