By Comrade Folarin Adegboyega Awal
As the race for the vacant seat of the vice chancellor of Lagos State University has begun in earnest, the Concerned Youths of Imota LCDA x-rays the profile of the top three shortlisted candidates and their chances.
For so many people in the university arena that has been pandering on the whims and caprices of who the Governor of Lagos State with his perogative power is going to appoint to become the 9th substantive vice-chancellor of the state-owned institution to continue foster the good legacy of Professor Adigun Fagbohun.
Before the completion of the five-year single term tenure of Professor Lanre Adigun Fagbohun which will come to an end on January 11, 2021. Professor Fagbohun hails from Ikeja Division which is among the five division that make up Lagos. Curiously, all the divisions in Lagos State but Ikorodu is yet to produced a vice chancellor in the history of the university and this according to analysts, has become a major factor that should be considered by the Lagos State governor in the quest for appointing the next substantive vice-chancellor of the university.
It could be recalled that the seat of the vice chancellor requires a man who has the pedigree and ability to serve the interest of the university in line with the laid down foundation by the ongoing vice chancellor. Although, the top three gladiators with intimidating credentials who have begun underground lobbying, consultations and mobilisation ahead of the announcement. Nearly all of these candidates are also counting on the goodwill of the governor who everybody believe to give the final say on who emerges as the 9th vice-chancellor of the university.
But the big poser is remains that “who does the cap fits? Without doubts, So far the list of the candidates include; Professor Akinyemi Kabir who is as an erudite scholar with a PhD, he has vast experience being the former Dean of Students Affairs and former ASUU-LASU Chairman in Lagos state university, he is a fellow of many international organizations, he won the Bill and Melinda Gate Award and many other academic scholarship for the institution. Recently, he won a grants of millions equipment to LASU among other laudable achievements. It is a no doubt that all these criteria were used as prerequisite to score all the applicants up to the present stage of the selection process. This however gave Professor Akinyemi Kabir a high advantage over others and further made him to boost up with more points and to be more qualified of becoming the substantive Vice-chancellor of the university.
Probably, the most experienced and eligible among the candidates jostling for the vice-chancellor seat is Professor Akinyemi Kabir. He is a renowned scholar in the field of medical microbiology, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH), United Kingdom and Fellow of the highly rated Alexander von Humboldt (FAvH). He is the current Director of Linkages, Partnerships and Collaboration, LASU, he is the first Alumnus of the university who started his academic career from undergraduate level till the level he attained his professorship. No doubt, Professor Akinyemi is a true product of the institution and a prominent member of the Alumni Association. He has served at the top management level of the university as a former member of the Governing Council of LASU.
Professor Akinyemi is currently the chairman Lagos State Indigene Verification Committee (IVC), LASU. It is obvious that Professor Akinyemi Kabir is the material person suitable to wear the cap which will be honourably handed over by Professor Lanre Adigun Fagbohun in the next couple of weeks. In assessing the profile of Professor Akinyemi Kabir, he is a true Indigene of Ikorodu Division of Lagos State.
To measure their global research efforts and contributions, Professor Akinyemi Kabir has a google scholar Citations of 1,921 and h-index of 18, Professor Sena Bakre has a google scholar Citations of 391 and h-index 8 while Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya has a google scholar Citations of 1,811 and h-index of 21. And for the first time in history, the three shortlisted candidates who are renowned professors and medical scientists.
Other two candidates who have also been tipped for the position includes, Professor Senapon Bakare (B.sc hons); M.sc; Ph.D; FBME) is a Professor of Microbiology with specialisation on food and Industrial Microbiology (fermented foods). She was the former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), former Director Centre for General Nigeria Studies (GNS); former Director Centre for Environment and Science Education (CESE); former Sub-dean faculty of Science and 1st Executive director, Lagos State University External System. She is the pioneer/current Director of Lagos State University Open and Distance Learning and Research Institute. She is an indigene of Badagry.
Professor Sena Bakre has attended many Management courses both local and international e.g. Havard Business School Executive leadership programme (Boston) Manchester Business School Executive leadership course (Manchester) in conjunction with TEXEM; Queens University Business school executive leadership courses (Canada) in conjunction with Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) Leadership course for Executive Women in Dubai to mention but a few.
She is a member of various Professional bodies both local and international such as Science Association of Nigeria (SAN), Nigeria Institute of food Science and Technology (NIFST), Microbiology Society of Nigeria (MSN), American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Society for Applied Microbiology. Uk (SFAM). She has served in many Committees and Boards as member or Chairman both within the University system and at National level.
The third, Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya is a professor of public and community health and the current Director of research LASU. He is another favorite for the job and insiders say he also stands a good chance of getting the nod of the Governor. Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya possesses a Fellowship certificate of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria. He has worked seriously at ensuring successes recorded in the last two research fairs organized in 2019 and 2020 by the current administration of the outgoing VC, professor Lanre Adigun Fagbohun, PhD, SAN, NPOM.
While these three are renowned professors in their fields and are also favorites for the job having passed through the screening supervised by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Committee. Although the investigation into the division of all the past vice-chancellors of the prestigious state-owned institution, it was recorded that past vice-chancellors starting from Professor Folabi Olumide whose tenure was between 1983 – 1988 was hailed from Ogun State, Professor Jadesola Akande who administration was between 1989 – 1993 hailed from Oyo State, Professor Enitan Bababunmi who ruined the university between 1993 – 1996 hailed from Badagry Division of Lagos State, Professor Fatiu A. Akesode who administration was between 1999 – 2001 hailed from Lagos Island Division of Lagos State, Professor Abisogun Leigh who governed the university between 2001 – 2005 also hailed from Lagos Island Division of Lagos State, Professor Lateef Akanni Hussein who also hailed from Lagos Island Division of Lagos State administration was 2005 – 2011, Professor John Obafunwa whose administration was between 2011- 2015 hailed from Epe Division of Lagos State, and the current university’s vice-chancellor, Professor Lanre Fagbohun hailed from Ikeja Division of Lagos State from 2016 – till date.
For those that had been following the university’s polity closely, it would be recalled that the historicity of past Pro chancellor of the university starting from Pro Chancellor Justice Oluwa, Williams, Seriki, J.K. Randle, Femi Pearce, Keke – ekun, and Agusto were all from Lagos Island Divsion of Lagos State while Professor Adebayo Ninalowo is from Ikorodu Division.
There is no gain saying that LASU needs a vibrant, hardworking international scholar to sustain it’s glory, capability and capacity to intensify the momentum LASU has gathered in the last half of a decade.
Signed:
Comrade Folarin Adegboyega Awal
Convener, Concerned Youths of Imota LCDA
