REACTION…….. Nigerian Transparent Network backs UNILORIN VC (Read FULL TEXT)

               NIGERIAN TRANSPARENCY NETWORK

(A Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to promotion of good Leadership Qualities)

UNILORIN – AN IVORY-TOWER OF EXCELLENCE

Some days ago, some saboteurs and unpatriotic elements within and outside the Better by Far University – the University of Ilorin, took some pages of a National Daily to spread falsehood and tissue of lies against the present leadership of the Centre of Excellence – the University of Ilorin.

The product of the gang-up of these ill-motivated individuals was just a trash that was aimed at blackmailing, intimidating and harassing the Vice-Chancellor of the University – Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali, OON who has not only successfully sustained the legacy of his predecessors but advanced on them to the admiration of all.

This is the outcome of our investigation after studying and verifying the veracity of their claims in the publication made in THE NATION Newspapers recently.

The virtues and values of the University in the past and till today include:

1. Academic Excellence
2. Academic Stability

iii.               Total commitment to Financial discipline and Transparency

1. Dedication to Moral values
2. Provision of equipment and facilities for teaching, learning and research and
3. Execution of valuable projects to enhance sound academic pursuit, just to mention a few.

No wonder that the University has remained the best in Nigeria and one of the best in Africa.

For six years’ running, the University remains an Ivory Tower of Excellence and most preferred Educational Institution in the whole Country attested to by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

For a group of mindless and disgruntled elements to now engage in mischievous and ill-motivated article to damage the good image built by the predecessors and current Vice-Chancellor of the University is to engage in an exercise in futility.

The allegation of illegal remuneration, plagiarism and favouritism of some serving academic staff contained in the trash published by the disgruntled elements remain a charade aiming to blackmail dedicated and hardworking Public Officers, who have been doing their best to sustain the good image of the Institution.

Having pioneered Computer-Based-Tests (CBT) for screening of candidates for students admissions in Nigeria, Unilorin would never condescend to low-level in any circumstance as to allow any financial, academic, moral and any form of indecency to find its ways into the system.

Successes recorded so far by Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali

To buttress our point, it is necessary to highlight some of the achievements recorded during the tenure of the current Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali, OON. It is also practically impossible to recall or detail all achievements and successes recorded during the purposeful and dynamic administration of this wonderful academic. So far, he has to his credit the highest number of physical development projects ever executed by any of his predecessors in office and successes recorded by him in various ways remain uncountable.

Academic Advancement

During the tenure of this Vice-Chancellor, a new brand of Faculty of Environmental Services was established, in addition to two other Faculties i.e. Life Science and Management Services – excised from the old Faculty of Science as well as a new Faculty established purely for Business and Social Sciences.

There was also the unbundling of some Departments from the Faculty of Education to promote academic excellence in various fields.

Projects Executed

Prof. Ambali’s tenure now parades large number of projects in the University including the ones funded by the Federal Government, the University and Philanthropists.  Some of these projects are:

1. Oil palm plantation covering over 10000 hectares of land to provide training and laboratory facilities for students of Faculties of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
2. Faculty of Science Phase III (Microbiology) Building.
3. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences Complex
4. Renovated Complex for Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
5. University of Ilorin Water Project Complex
6. College of Health Sciences Skills Acquisition Laboratories
7. Renovated Complex for University of Ilorin International Secondary School
8. 2000 Seater Multipurpose Hall Complex
9. Faculty of Education, 4 Storey Block
10. Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Building
11. Central Research Laboratory Complex
12. Researchers Accommodation Complex
13. Lecture Theatre for the Faculty of Education
14. Lecture Theatre for Faculty of Agriculture
15. Lecture Theatre for the Faculty of Law
16. Entrance/Security Post for the Senate Building Complex
17. Unilorin Business School Complex
18. Workshops for Faculty of Engineering and Technology
19. Road to Researchers’ Guest House
20. Construction of Robiat Ajike Private Hostel
21. Physical Planning Unit Office Building
22. Water Pipeline and Construction of Overhead and Ground Tanks for College of Health Sciences Complex
23. Medical Assessment Centre
24. Laboratory Complex for Faculty of Agriculture
25. Security Entrance/Gatehouse to Senate/Auditorium Complex
26. 600 Seater Lecture Theatre for the Faculty of Science
27. 300 Seater Lecture Hall for Faculty of Management Sciences
28. 300 Seater Lecture Hall for Faculty of Engineering and Technology
29. 300 Seater Lecture Hall for Faculty of Education
30. Faculty of Arts Four Storey Complex
31. Entrepreneurial Development Centre
32. Fire Service Unit establishment with fully functional equipment.
33. Electricity supply from Main Campus to the College of Health Sciences
34. Six No. Sit Out for Students
35. Complete Rehabilitation of 650 Seater Lecture Theatre for Faculty of Science
36. Complete Rehabilitation of four Lecture Theatres
37. Complete Rehabilitation of Faculty of Agriculture Laboratory
38. Office Block for Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
39. Block of Laboratories for Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
40. Link Road to College of Health Sciences (UITH)
41. New Senate Chamber
42. Veterinary Teaching Hospital Complex (Sabo-Oke, Ilorin)
43. 500 Capacity Lecture Hall (Type B) for the Faculty of Communication and Information Sciences
44. 500 Capacity Lecture Hall (Type A) for Faculty of Science
45. 4 per room Capacity Hostel (Abuja Hostel)
46. Fencing around Senate/Auditorium and Visitors/Drivers Waiting Room
47. Animal House for Central Research Laboratories
48. Private Hostel (Gulf Pearl)
49. Private Hostel (Albanic)
50. Private Hostel (Blackworth)
51. Private Hostel (El Mubarak)
52. Parking Lots for Physical Planning Unit (PPU)
53. Dental Clinic
54. Performing Arts Department Building
55. Statistics Department Building
56. Agric and Bio-Systems and Engineering Department Building
57. Works and Physical Planning Unit (PPU) Departmental Buildings
58. COMSIT Unit Building
59. 2 No. Sit Outs for students (Faculties of Arts and Education)
60. NLNG Engineering Research Centre (commissioned on July 8, 2016).

These are some of the projects executed, in addition to a number of others that are about to be completed, all of which will be commissioned come October this year, God-willing.

These are by no means exhaustive in the list of laudable projects executed by the amiable Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali, OON – who is not only a pride of Ilorin Emirate but a pride to the entire citizens of Nigeria.

These projects were executed brilliantly at minimal costs to achieve the vision and mission statements of the great citadel of learning.

The helmsmen should be commended for prudent management of scarce resources – having achieved so much in the area of physical development that is unprecedented in the University’s history.

In fact, in the annals of history of the University, Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali’s tenure in the 40 year-old University presently parade an unprecedented list of massive infrastructural development projects both in terms of quantity and quality.

For some jaundiced and beer-parlour critics to embark on destructive campaign against a responsible, respectable, articulate and highly intelligent Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin is to venture into a futile mission that will eventually destroy the architects and collaborators in the devilish and unwarranted attack.

All the successes recorded and laudable projects executed were aimed at advancing the course of the University to stimulate research, learning and teaching for the benefit of the academic community.

Those embarking on destructive publications are doing so for selfish and materialistic interest. Their diabolical and unpatriotic acts demonstrate ill-will and retrogression.

The stock in trade of these mindless people is to pursue ethnic and religious interests, the negative attitude of which they have been used to especially whenever any helmsman is winding-up his tenure in the University of Ilorin.

It is usually done to distract the attention of these hardworking Vice-Chancellors so as to derail them and eventually pull them down. This mission has failed in the past and would continue to fail….God-Willing.

It should be noted that this chronicle of achievements, would not be complete without mentioning the human capacity development of academic and non – academic staff of the University of Ilorin. Many staff members have enjoyed training at the postgraduate level (Masters and Ph.D) during the tenure of the current Vice-Chancellor. Training and retraining of all categories of staff in the University have continued unhindered and backlog of promotions that were due long before he assumed duties were cleared. The list of achievements is endless.

Almighty God usually vindicates those who are righteous and straight forward like Professors Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali and Is-haq Oloyede.

We appeal to citizens of the Country to be patriotic and refrain from being allowed to be used for destructive mission as the end is usually disastrous for the originators and their collaborators.

We implore Prof. Ambali not to be distracted by their negative actions but to continue in his good works and leave the rest to God who is capable of dealing with evil doers.

Emman Nwachukwu      Nurudeen   Ibrahim        

 Chairman                                Secretary

For: Nigerian Transparency Network

27th March, 2017.