By Idowu Gabriel
Oye-Ekiti (Ekiti State) – The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Kayode Soremekun, on Wednesday dismissed a report that students on the Ikole campus of the institution were studying under trees.
The vice chancellor, in a statement issued by the spokesman of the institution, Mr Godfrey Bakji, described the report as false and misleading.
Soremekun said apart from the structures he inherited, he had made unprecedented efforts in improving the state of facilities and constructing new ones.
The report entitled, “ We study under trees’ was published on Tuesday in a national daily.
Soremekun, however, said: “I wish to dismiss this statement as not only misleading and false, but a deliberate attempt to malign the integrity of the institution.
“Aside from the structures I inherited, I have made unprecedented efforts in improving the state of facilities and constructing new ones.
“This is borne out of my thirst for rapid growth and development of the institution.
“ In less than a year of my stewardship, I had attracted 19 new academic programmes and two more faculties to the young institution,” he said.
The vice chancellor said a resource verification team comprising officials from the National Universities Commission, JAMB and Federal Ministry of Education had visited the institution before approving the programmes.
“This is to ensure that FUOYE has commensurate facilities to accommodate the new faculties as well as the intending candidates.
“The resource verification team scored the young FUOYE high, hence its approval.
“ Therefore, one wonders why any student would say they study under trees in FUOYE, most especially on the Ikole campus that accommodates only two out of the seven faculties,’’ he added.
Soremekun also said his administration was simultaneously developing both the Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti campuses in order to make the university a world-class institution.
“It is worthy to mention that the institution is ranked 14th by the National Universities Commission in 2017.
“This feat could not have been achieved without commensurate sacrifice by the vice chancellor to create conducive learning environment for students and workers respectively.
“I can assure you that Ikole campus will not be sidelined,’’ he said. (NAN)