Osogbo—The Senate of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife
yesterday elected a 68-year-old Professor of Pharmacy, Anthony
Adebolu Elujoba as acting Vice Chancellor of the university.
Elujoba an indigene of Ile Ife, following his nomination, became the
first Ile-Ife academia to serve as Vice Chancellor of the University.
There was jubilation in Ile Ife
as soon as the Acting Vice
Chancellor emerged.
It was gathered that, as part
of measures to ensure that
Elujoba sailed through, some
prominent Ife indigenes that
are even outside the
academic community also
lent helping hands through
their contacts.
OAU, since April this year
has been engulfed in crisis
as conflicting interests within
the institution, slugged it out
over who occupies seat of
Vice Chancellor.
The immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof ‘Tale Omole, was
accused of allegedly manipulating the process of choosing a
successor in Prof Ayobami Salami, which led to endless protests by
Non Academic Staff Union, NASU, of the university.
Sources at yesterday’s Senate meeting of the university, chaired by
the outgoing Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Omolayo
Ajayi, said the need to ensure trust in the relationship between
management and NASU members was considered before arriving at
the choice of Elujoba.