…as glitz, glamour greet his memorable inuaguration
By Wole Balogun, Ph.D
History was made on 11th February, 2026, as the fifth substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, was inaugurated amidst pomp and pageantry. The Ndoma Egba hall, a 1000 seating capacity structure built by immediate past VC, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, was filled to its brim by a teeming crowd comprising the enthusiastic University community, stakeholders, family, associates and friends of the new Vice-Chancellor. The event turned out to be a glorious one coloured with glamour, class, elegance, communal spirit, love and great admiration for the new Sheriff in town.
The new Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole
Kicking off gracefully with a memorable change of guard ceremony at the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Senate building of the University, another milestone of Prof. Fasina, a long, colourful procession of the University’s ‘Who is who’ comprising members of Senate, Governing Council, management team, directors and heads of units, and others, poured into the 1000 seating capacity Ndoma Egba hall, a few yards to the Senate building, for the Inuaguration proper.
Royal fathers at the event
After Prof. Sunday Adedini, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, gave the opening prayer, an introduction of guests ritual dutifully performed by both the University orator, Prof. Dosu Malomo and his co-anchor, Dr. Adedayo Sobowale revealed an array of dignitaries from virtually all walks of life; the academia, corporate world, clergy, royalty, trade unions, political circle, and students’ bodies among others, who graced the occasion.
Soun of Ogbomoso
Mother of the new Vice-Chancellor, Mrs. Abigail lbidunni Ogunwole, was given an heroic recognition by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Administration, Prof. Tajudeen Bolanle Opoola who doubles as the chairman of the University ceremonies committee that organized the event. Mrs. Ogunwole, the matriarch of the new VC’s great family, was urged to come out to a vantage point where all guests in attendance celebrated her with a loud and standing ovation. In the same spirit, immediate family of the new Vice-Chancellor was also recognized and celebrated joyously while the royal fathers in attendance, led by Oba Ghandi Afọlábí Oladunni Ọláoyè, Orumógege III,
the Soun of Ogbomoso, paramount ruler of the hometown of the new Vice-Chancellor, were respectfully recognized. The ex-Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olubummi Shittu was also specially recognized particularly for holding forte while the immediate past substansive Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Fasina, was on a six-month leave.
Bishop Ajakaiye at the event
Other eminent guests duly recognized were former Governor of Ekiti State, Engr. Segun Oni, represented by Chief Dipo Anisulowo, Catholic Bishop of Ekiti State, Rev.father Femi Ajakaiye, Oba Sir, Micheal Ademolaju, Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, host community to the University, Vice-Chancellors of several Universities and their representatives who were from Universities such as Bowen University lwo, where the new Vice-Chancellor had served earlier in same capacity, Afe Babalola University, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the Alma Mater of the the new Vice-Chancellor, University of lbadan, and Obafemi Awolowo University, Federal University of Science and Technology lyin-Ekiti, among others.
There was also a group of associates, friends and and palace chiefs as well as dignitaries from Ogbomoso, union members of ASUU, NASU, SSANU, NAAT and CONUA as well as the students’ bodies, South West NANS led by Comrade Taiwo O. The University Senate members, comprising Professors Oladele Olajide, Basiru Ajiboye, A.A Ajiboye, Ogunleye, Bifatife Adeseye, Cecelia Akintayo, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Shola Omotola, Prof. Bishop Kunle Oni, former Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies, and chairman, Committee of Deans, Prof. Raphael Omolehin, current DVC, Academics, Prof. Pastor Babatunde Afolabi, former Acting Director, Academic Planning and current Dean, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Prof. Rev. Sister Chika Asogwa, principal officers including Mr. Mufutau lbrahim, Registrar, Dr. (Mrs ) Bolanle Debo-Ajagunna, Bursar, new Librarian, Dr. Olabide O, among others were also given recognition.
Council.chairman’s Representative, Hajiya Nafisa Nahuche
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba declared the Inuaguration ceremony open and gave his opening remarks. Represented by a respected external member of the Council, Hajiya Nafisa Nahuche, he informed the August gathering that the competition that produced Prof. Ogunwole as VC, FUOYE, was though tough but eventually produced the best among others. Noting specifically that over 80 candidates had applied and were subjected to rigorous examinations via virtual and physical interviews, and tests, he added that the 80 candidates were shortlisted to six in the final stage, and Prof. Ogunwole came tops among them after scoring 89%.
Guests from Universities
While charging the new Vice-Chancellor on integrity in stewardship, championing academic freedom, and building consensus in key decision making and policy formulations, the Pro-Chancellor expressed confidence in Prof. Ogunwole to deliver on his lofty promises of making FUOYE a world class research University, and urged the University community to support him in this important endeavour. He said: “This occasion marks not only a transition in leadership but an opportunity for reflection for a renewed committed to the future we must collectively build. As a University, we are called to respond to the demands of a rapidly changing world by producing not only educated individuals, but adaptive, innovative, and globally competent citizens. To achieve this, we must uphold excellence in teaching, research and community service. While supporting our staff and students to realize their full potentials, we must also embrace digital transformation, foster capacity and strengthen research that address both local and global challenges, thereby building a smart and responsive academic ecosystem.
“Equally important is the sustenance of peace in FUOYE, I hereby appeal to all staff, students and unions to work harmoniously with the new Vice-Chancellor in the interest of a stable, and peaceful environment which is essential for progress and growth,” Ndoma Egba advised.
The University band
In his Inuagural lecture to herald the August occasion, former Vice-Chancellor of the Premier University of lbadan, Prof Abel Idowu Olayinka made use of several inspirational quotes from renowned leaders to motivate and challenge the new Vice-Chancellor. He stated that though leading FUOYE for the next five years would be challenging, his focus must be to leave behind an enduring legacy the same way his predecessors, particularly immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina, has left enduring legacies etching his name in gold. Prof. Olayinka harped on the assertion that leadership is about solving problems and urged the new Vice-Chancellor to reflect deeply on this. He cited.challenging situations copiously from his personal experience as VC, and other experiences of past and present VCs to advise Prof. Ogunwole to be above board in rendering his stewardship for the next five years.
While expressing some level of confidence in Prof. Ogunwole to deliver on his new assignment, especially given the fact that he has walked on similar terrain as VC, Bowen, a private University, the former Vice-Chancellor, University of lbadan, further gave informed pieces of advice to the new Vice-Chancellor, saying : “There will be professional power brokers who seek to be part of every VC’s inner circle. (AGIP: Any Government In Power). Be careful. Listen carefully and intensely but be frugal with your words. Please don’t allow any group to form around you, no matter the good intentions they may chorus. “Belong to no one, but belong to everyone; The job is very hectic. Please, take very good care of your health. Check your
health status periodically and listen to your doctor’s advice. Put in your best but
remember that there’s life after the VCship. People will come to you with proposals about how you can make as
much money as possible. Beware. These emergency consultants are not limited to outsiders – the staff that you work with may offer to teach you how they taught your predecessors in office to make
themselves comfortable after their tenure. Beware.
Pro-Chancellor, Bowen University in blue, representative of Segun Oni, and others
“Some of your colleagues within the University might have supported your
candidature. Now that you have emerged, a few of them could be transactional by expecting from you immediate Returns On Investment. Your job would be made much easier if you never promised anyone any post upfront. It would be very helpful if the Vice-Chancellor is very familiar with the entire University and has reputable colleagues who can nominate suitable colleagues for specific assignments. The VC alone cannot know everything,” he said. .
While the Pro-Chancellor formally introduced the new Vice-Chancellor to the audience, the citation of the new Vice-Chancellor was read in high spirit by Prof. Adeola A Aderibigbe, then the formal hand over ceremony and ritual of dressing Prof. Ogunwole as fifth substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University were performed elegantly. Prof. Opoola, who has been acting as Vice-Chancellor for few months in accordance with the University regulations, performed the hand over ritual and pronounced Prof. Ogunwole the new Vice-Chancellor of the University to a rousing applause from the teeming audience. After his colourful and remarkable inuaguration, Prof. Ogunwole, who looked confident, energized and fully ready for the task ahead, gave a memorable Inuagural address. He expressed his reservation for what he termed unbecoming conducts of a scholarly community which has manifested in the University recently and assured that leadership under him, will rise to the occasion to redeem the image of the University. He also promised to not only build on the enduring legacies of his immediate predecessor, Prof Fasina, whom he described as a visionary leader, but also assured that his administration will make FUOYE a world class research University which will also provide great empowerment for students and staff to realize their potentials to the fullest. His speech reads in part: “l count it as a great honor and privilege given by God, the country and the Governing Council of this University to stand before this esteemed assembly to be inaugurated as the fifth substantive Vice-Chancellor, succeeding Abayomi Sunday Fasina, a Professor of Soil Science, a dogged Administrator, an achiever, whose name will go down in the history of FUOYE, and indeed, Nigeria, as one of the visionary Vice-Chancellors, a transformation agent whose credentials of performance are legion” he noted.
Now to the business of leadership, Prof. Ogunwole said: “There comes a time in the life of any organization where sentiments must yield to common sense, and bullying along with every form of violence and gangsterism must bow on the alter of public interest. For FUOYE, the time is now. In recent years, FUOYE has featured in the public space with troubling regularity; not for ground breaking discoveries, scholarly excellence or scientific innovations, but for issues that strike at the very heart of the University as an lvory Tower of knowledge. Reports of declining civility, erosion of decorum, manifestations of impunity and conduct unbecoming of a scholarly community have drawn attention away from our legitimate achievements and undermined public confidence in the institution. Disturbingly, behaviours inconsistent with the values of the academic: ranging from confrontational posturing, and verbal aggression to open disregard for constituted authority, have at times, found expression within our governance process. In some instances , individuals, and occasionally, group operating under institutional platforms have engaged in actions that weaken discipline, order and respect for due process. Let me state state it clearly and unequivocally that such conducts will no longer be tolerated”, he warned sternly.
Royal fathers from Ekiti State
Speaking further, he added: “Our collective conduct, particularly on the social media and other communication platforms, has at times brought the University into disrepute, our achievements that ought to have earned FUOYE national and international recognition have been overshadowed by narratives of controversy resulting in profound institutional embarrassment.
Consequently, our credibility in the court of national and global opinion has suffered more than we may readily acknowledge. Therefore, leadership must rise decisively to address the culture of indiscipline. Firm, fair and consistent enforcement of institutional rules and ethical standards is imperative, not as an act of repression, but as a necessary step towards restoring trust and strengthening governance, structures and rescuing our University from further moral erosion,” the Sheriff assured.
And continuing, he reminded the University community that: “… As custodians of a public trust, we owe the nation, our students and the future generation nothing less than integrity, discipline and responsible stewardship. Anything short of this would amount to a betrayal of our calling and our duty.
Prof. Ogunwole further assured that his administration’s focus would be to engineer a system for the University to effect an urgent decisive and positive change in attitude, institutional structures and operations. In view of this, the new Sheriff at FUOYE pledged to ensure a digitalized operations of virtually all units of the University so as to deliver a responsive and smart University. Appraising the efforts of the immediate past administration in engaging the expertise of seasoned University administrators to draw up a 25-year development plan for the University, he assured that his administration would implement the first five year of the plan. Thus he said: “in the next five year, my administration will focus on achieving the quest for a repositioned and rebranded Federal University Oye-Ekiti that rewards character, excellence and innovation.”
VC with other members of the management team
To achieve the foregoing, he promised his administration ‘s resolve to ensure , cultural transformation, delivery of a world class research University status, ensuring formidable community-engagement policy, which would be implemented with a Directorate of community engagement and trade union affairs, diversified IGR base, increased entrepreneurial and sporting engagement of students, massive infrastructure development, provision of favourable governance features, empowering FUOYE students, changing futures with huge support for entrepreneurship, talents of the students of the University with empowered.
A cross section of the management team
He exemplified the promise with a special recognition for Olayemi Ayomide Solomon, a 100L student of the University who created a digital portrait of the Vice-Chancellor. The portrait was adopted as the cover page of the new Vice-Chancellor’s inuagural address and the student was duly rewarded as a way of encouraging him and others so talented. Setting the ball rolling, Prof. Ogunwole announced appointment of
Prof. Adebola Adewunmi Aderibigbe as Senior Technical Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor, Mrs.Oyeyinmika Koyejo-Fasakin as Director, VC ‘s office, Mr..Emmanuel Adhohoje as TETfund Desk officer, Mr. Ayegbusi Adewale Emmanuel and Muyiwa Victor Olubo as Administrative Secretary and internal auditors, Dr. Benedicta Olayinka Adewoyin, as Senior Programme Assistant, FUOYE Green initiative, Mrs. Christiana Ojo Olayemi as Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor and Matthew Dauda Makarfi, as Executive Officer to assist Mrs. Olayemi. The new VC ordered that the appointment takes immediate effect.
Photo Credit : Ashabi Shots.
