In a fresh display of crass ignorance of procedures in a Federal University, and a pitiable show of contempt for minimum standard and unpardonable disregard for basic rules and regulations, those who have taken it upon themselves to rubbish anything, just anything, coming from the University of Ilorin, without considering its necessity or good intention, are at their shameless game once again!
Hiding behind the faceless name, Tijani_Faraday, these mischief makers took to the social media last weekend in a fruitless attempt to rubbish the well-groomed image of the University while maligning the character of its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem.
These enemies of progress tried to paint a very strange picture of what actually happened during the 4th Induction/Oath Taking Ceremony for the University’s new Pharmacy graduates in a well-attended and very solemn occasion that took place in the University Main Auditorium last Friday.
It is pertinent to put the record straight not because the hireling is worth the trouble but because what is in a name is beyond a mere means of identification.
By choice, the University of Ilorin is an institution governed by a carefully and altruistically formulated set of rules and regulations, especially as it concerns strict adherence to academic calendar.
And our Vice-Chancellor, a thorough-bred Unilorite, is an unrepentant stickler to due process, whatever the situation and no matter whose ox is gored. We are not in the habit of bending the rules or cutting corners! This is one of the hallmarks of our well-acknowledged excellence in the comity of the nation’s educational institutions.
To start with, the writer alleged that the Vice-Chancellor “suddenly cancelled and stripped graduands off (sic) their gowns”. But every right thinking person would and should know that in the operations of a university system (a Federal University for that matter) no Vice-Chancellor has such power to outrightly cancel the graduation ceremony of the students.
Everybody present at the programme can confirm that registration of the attendees by the assigned ushers was what was happening at the venue, a normal procedure in all public events, to screen out undesirable elements like this Phantom Faraday and his cohort! In this era of technological advancement, one would have expected the ignoramus to have supported his claim that the Vice-Chancellor stripped graduands of their gowns with relevant pictures and/or video recordings rather than the picture of the proceeding of the programme he used.
The mischief merchant could have taken his time to confirm that the immediate past Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is Dr. Ayanniyi and not the late Prof. AbdulKareem Agunnu. Since he has no respect for the soul of the late Prof. Agunnu to have shamelessly lied against him that he approved a waiver for a course during his lifetime, one is not so surprised what such a fellow could do to the living. No sound minded person would ever believe Faraday’s blatant lie against our well respected late Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Agunnu that he single-handedly approved a waiver of any course without the knowledge of the Faculty Board of Examiners, the Business Committee of Senate, BCOS, and the Unuversity Senate itself. If any such move was made, the Vice-Chancellor would have equally been part of the decision as the Chairman of the Senate. Isn’t that another ignorance displayed by this warped mind on how a university is run?
All organisations and individuals that have dealings with the University of Ilorin, know very well that the University has a well respected principle of keeping to time. This principle could even be described as inborn for Prof. Sulyman AbdulKareem as he is always punctual at all the events he is billed to attend, much less the one he is to preside over, like the Pharmacists Induction Ceremony under reference.
The little delay in the commencement of the programme was not caused by the Vice-Chancellor, as the hack writer insinuated. Indeed, it was in an attempt to comply with due process and ensure that academic and professional standards were not compromised that the programme got a little delayed. And at the end of the day, both the inductees and their parents were the happier for it.
The Vice-Chancellor should be commended for his magnanimity to have graciously given executive approval, on that Friday morning, for the additional names recently considered by the Business Committee of Senate, BCOS, ahead of the next Senate meeting. And indeed, as the ceremony proceeded, the Registrar of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, Pharm. N.A.E. Mohammed, who was represented on the occasion by the Head of Education and Training, PSN, Dr. Julius Idoko, and the Ag. Dean of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Olushola Aremu, duly acknowledged this and publicly thanked the Vice-Chancellor profusely for his magnanimity in their separate speeches.
Meanwhile,the Best Graduating Student for the 2018/2019 Session is Pharm. Abdulganiy Yusuf and not Lawal Azeemat Adeola, as shamelessly proclaimed by Faraday.
The Induction Ceremony was an interesting and well attended programme by the inductees, their proud parents, staff members of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, friends and other well wishers.
We are pretty sure that in years to come, the inductees will continue to treasure the pictures where they were individually having handshakes with the Vice-Chancellor!
In conclusion, we want to advise Faraday to advise his candidate, if he/she is among those that fail to make the graduating list, to look for another excuse rather than trying to soil the golden image of the University of Ilorin and the hard-earned good name of our hardworking and humane Vice-Chancellor.
Indeed, there is a limit to mischief!
Signed
Kunle Akogun
Director, Corporate Affairs,
University of Ilorin.
