In an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mojeed Alabi, the newly appointed vice-chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, has expressed her desire to run an inclusive administration by making every voice count in decision making.
Mrs Olatunji-Bello, who spoke with our reporter on the phone shortly after the announcement of her appointment on Thursday, also promised to expand the academic programmes at the university.
The new vice-chancellor, who had served the university in various capacities in the past including as an acting vice-chancellor, said the ultimate agenda was to prioritise the workers’ and students’ welfare.
“Welfare of the workers and students would be our priority. We will provide their welfare. It is very important to us,” she said.
On academic programmes
The new vice-chancellor also said her administration would introduce additional relevant academic programmes towards addressing fundamental issues of development.
Some of these programmes, she noted, include Pharmacy, environmental sciences, physiotherapy, among others.
She added that all existing programmes run by the university will also receive adequate accreditation from relevant regulatory bodies.
The new VC said: ”We will create more faculties to boost the image of the university on the world map. We will create the Faculties of Pharmacy, Environmental Sciences, and Allied Health Sciences for programmes such as Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory Science. The existing Nursing Sciences department will also be moved to the appropriate faculty unlike what currently plays out.
“We will also create Radiotherapy and Radiation Sciences to meet the demands of the new world. And under Environment Sciences, we are going to have departments such as Building, Architecture, Quantity Survey, Urban and Regional Planning, Fine and Applied Arts, among others.”
She said the state’s cosmopolitan nature and the emerging climatic issues would require that the university joins the world in building the needed human resources and capacity to address the challenges.
The new VC said it is strange to note that the university does not currently run some of these programmes.
Sustaining peace
Speaking on how to sustain the existing peace on the campus, the new vice-chancellor said as long as everyone is carried along before policies are introduced and their opinions are factored in, there would be no crisis.
“To maintain peace is easy. You only need an all inclusive governance; don’t introduce policies without the people’s knowledge. They will have to be aware. Don’t just bring in something midway, that is when they will resist it. They must be part of the decision making. One must not be high handed because once you do that, you are creating problems for yourself. We will have regular meetings with the staff unions, student unions, among others,” she said.
The new vice-chancellor is expected to assume duty on Wednesday, 22 September, when the tenure of the incumbent acting vice-chancellor is expected to end.
(Premium Times )