THE newly-appointed Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, has assumed duty with a promise to restore the lost glory of the institution.

Fagbohun, a professor of environmental law, speaking while he assumed office at the new Faculty of Science Complex, said: “This is the beginning of a new dawn. The name of the game is inclusive governance and I am going to work with you to make LASU the greatest. I can’t do it alone. I need everybody. We will think together and leverage on each other’s capacities. The opportunities in Lagos are enormous.”

He promised that within two weeks of his assumption of office, there would be provision of suggestion boxes in strategic places across the school in order to allow members of staff to drop their suggestions, which he promised to work on.
The new VC said that the passion he has for the job is such that he was already running for LASU to become great again.

The state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who spoke at the inauguration of Fagbohun as the VC, said: “LASU truly is a citadel of academic excellence that must be let out of its present bondage.
“I therefore invite all stakeholders in the LASU project to join hands with me in the task of putting it back on the front row of academic excellence where it rightly belongs.”
He, therefore, charged the new LASU helmsman to rebuild confidence in the institution after its protracted crisis.

The governor, who said that the new vice chancellor would require the support and co-operation of all stakeholders, particularly members of staff and students to ensure a peaceful atmosphere that would promote academic excellence, informed that “this appointment was made after a thorough screening and selection process by the governing council.
“Over the past few years, LASU has had a fair share of successes and challenges; as a result, there is a lot of work to be done to propel the university to a world-class status. I urge that we all use today’s event as a rallying call for all to join hands to move LASU forward.
“We are fully conscious of the unique position that LASU occupies, thus, the desire of all that the institution should refocus on intellectual engagement is very imperative,” he said.

He expressed optimism that Fagbohun would show leadership and brace up to the developmental and academic challenges of the institution.

Besides, the governor has approved the appointment of Dr. Ladele Omolola Aina as the eighth substantive Provost of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Otto-Ijanikin.

In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Obafela Bank-Olemoh, the appointment of Aina followed the expiration of the tenure of Wasiu Olalekan Bashorun as the seventh substantive provost of the institution on July 31, 2015. Aina is expected to resume office today, January 12, 2016.

While insisting that he was not oblivious of the unique position that LASU occupies, Ambode charged the new leadership of the institution to refocus on intellectual engagement, show leadership and brace up to the developmental and academic challenges of an emerging globally competitive citadel of learning.

He said: “Over the past few years, LASU has had her fair share of successes and challenges. As a result, there is a lot of work required to propel the university to a world-class status.

As we set our sights on a more viable future, we must ask ourselves some important questions: How successful are our students after they graduate from our institution? What is the university’s contribution to our community, our country and the world?
“I urge that we all ponder over these questions and use today’s event as a rallying call for all to join hands to move LASU forward.

There is no gainsaying that the new Vice Chancellor is assuming office at a challenging time in the history of the university. He has the task of rekindling hope and rebuilding confidence in the system after a protracted crisis. In this task, he requires the support and co-operation of all the stakeholders, particularly the academic and non-academic members of staff as well as students, all of whom he must carry along to enthrone a peaceful atmosphere that will promote academic excellence,” the governor said.

In his acceptance speech, Fagbohun said that the passion that he has for the job is such that he was already running for LASU to become great again.