Outgoing University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka has assessed his five-year tenure with a sense of fulfillment, saying he was happy that he was leaving the University better than he met it.
However, against the controversy surrounding the appointment of his successor which has culminated into the directive by the federal government to the Senate of the university to appoint an acting VC, Prof. Olayinka declared that he held no grudges against anybody, pointing out that posterity would judge everyone for the role played.
Speaking after commissioning three projects including water treatment, Post Graduate Hostel at Ajibode and a gigantic building at the Faculty of Arts, marking the end of his tenure, the unruffled VC who commented on some developments during his tenure stated that petition writing by some elements in the system did not start with his own regime.
His words, “for instance, immediately the appointment process of Prof. Isaac Adewole began in 2010, some people started writing petition. After the announcement that Prof. Adewole was the VC, some people went and placed advertorial in the newspaper, calling for the annulment of his appointment and demanding appointment of Acting VC”
“Even when I was appointed in 2015, some people went to court. They were calling for the disqualification of my appointment. We had to play a hide and seek game to avoid being served a court paper. I am saying all these to let you know that we are in a very hostile and critical environment. But I believe, posterity will judge everyone for the role we played”, he maintained.
Asked to asses his performance, Prof. Olayinka who said he would leave the assessment to the people , however, asserted that he was happy that he was leaving the university better than he met it, pointing out that he took every decision in the interest of the university.
According to him, “I am happy that I turned UI to projects site. Look at this gigantic building in the Faculty of Arts, before now, there was inadequacy of offices and classrooms for both staff and students, yet, Arts was one of the oldest Faculties in the university. Now, everyone is happy. There are things I didn’t plan to do which I did, and there are things which I would have loved to do, but couldn’t do because of the paucity of funds”
Prof. Olayinka who thanked everyone who contributed to the success of his administration disclosed that after leaving office , he would continue to lecture and contribute to the development of the University, stressing that he has no room for opinion policing about the success or otherwise of his performance.
