Thank You, Professor Igekele Ajibefun!
By Ogunade Olukayode
Exactly on the 6th, January 2015, you assumed office as the 5th Vice Chancellor of one of the most prestigious,and award winning 21st Century University properly called, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State.
It was by a sort of devine configuration that your first official assignment was the swearing in of Comrade Ogunade Adebola Oluwakayode led AAUA Students’ Union executives on the 8th of January, 2015. And since then, it has been from one giant stride to another, and Adekunle Ajasin University has grown from being a popular University in Nigeria to a world reckoned University and recently awarded the Best State University in Nigeria.
The various great feats since recorded is as a result of your administrative prowess, strength to over- come mountains and your imbued eagle eyes to see beyond the present situation. Professor Ajibefun Igbekele, in his inaugural speech did promise to make both the staff and students happy, almost five years now, that promise has been kept religiously.
The promised has not only been kept, it has also been demonstrated significantly on the various facets of the university, and that explains why AAUA emerged best in webometric ranking at the twilight of your administration to justify the rigorous efforts that you did invest in the university to be better that you met it. The score card is clear and will for ever be green.
Your regime prioritise staff welfare so well that despite the fact that you met a backlog of unpaid salaries as a result of unfortunate global recession that Nigeria has since slided into did not deter you, you cleared all the outstanding salaries and has since then regularise all emoluments. Your resilience and resolve to make the staff happy helped you to make certain that the workforcw get their dues without stress.
Under your care, First Class graduates and former Students Union leaders of AAUA with great academic excellence have been employed on the basis of merit. Reseach endeavour in the university attracted global atrention, just as you add masterpiece physical facilities to the beauty of the campus to the admiration of all and sundry.
Your huge contribution to infrastructural development is superlative, all aiding teaching and learning in ways unusual. Indeed, Professor Ajibefun has done quite well that a single piece would not tell it all. However, history will forever be kind to him for adding, among other novel things to the university.
- The faculty buildings, befitting lecture theaters, new faculty of Environmental Management and building design, digiralisation of bursary and electronic senate are testimonials that will stand the test of time and represent evocative signatures of illustrious Ajibefun.
