Obasanjo charges new FUNAAB VC to turn around institution

* Oni urges VCs to adopt common approach against cultism
* UNIBEN seeks funding of capital projects

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday challenged the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Felix Salako, to turn around the fortunes of the university.

Obasanjo, who spoke during Salako’s swearing-in ceremony at the institution’s campus, said with his “wealth of experience and sound academic background,” he would have no reason not to perform well.

He also charged Salako, who is the six substantive Vice Chancellor of the institution to make the fear of God his guiding principles and never take anything for granted.

“I know there must be pressure on you from the Governing Council and other quarters. There was pressure on me. But, I did not succumb to pressure. I did not even succumb to pressure to tell you what people were telling me.

In his Inaugural address titled: Please Rise and Remain Standing, Prof. Salako admitted that he suffered attacks and stiff opposition in the struggle for the position, adding, “but I won’t be vindictive”.

Salako promised to make respect for humanity and society, integrity, justice and fair play, productivity and harmony without compromising as his core values in leading the institution.

Speaking, the Pro chancellor, Dr. Aboki Zhawa, noted that from Salako’s comments, following his emergence, “he has a lot of work to do.”

In a related development, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Segun Oni, has advised the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities to adopt a common approach to solving the problem of cultism and other vices in the nation’s tertiary institutions.

Oni, a former governor of Ekiti State, was reacting to the killing of three students at the Ekiti State University (EKSU) last week by suspected cultists.

He said in a statement by his media aide, Steve Alabi in Ado-Ekiti yesterday that the university authorities should adopt a common position to ensure that former cultists who sometimes return to the universities as staff or students, were prevented from infiltrating the campuses.