Ayodele Takes Over as Ekiti Varsity VC, as Olanipekun Exits

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

Following his appointment by Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Prof. Joseph Babatola Ayodele has taken over from Prof. Eddy Olanipekun as the Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti (EKSU).

Ayodele, a professor of education management, was, until the appointment, the university’s deputy vice-chancellor (academic), who assumed office last week following Olanipekun’s tenure expiration and retirement.

Olanipekun, who spoke during an interactive session/handover ceremony at the university, defended the recent promotion of 70 academic staff to professors and 60 others to associate professors, saying that the concerned staff earned their promotion and not a parting gift.

He said he was shocked when some union leaders in the university told him that his administration paid the highest number of salary in a year.

Olanipekun also disclosed that one of the achievements of his administration was the regularisation of staff salaries.

Addressing journalists at a valedictory press conference, Olanipekun said workers are now paid full salary.

He explained that amputated salary was the lexicon used by the academic staff to describe part of salaries paid.

“There is nothing like that again. My comrades are here. I can see some chairmen of some unions here. If I am telling lies, they will raise their voice against my submission,” he stated. “The lexicon amputated salary has gone forever and will not come back to EKSU by the grace of God.”

Olanipekun added, “Now we have paid salary up till June but we have not been able to pay for July because we are still owed a four-month subvention, which includes August 2018, September 2018, December 2023 and January 2024, and that is well over N1 billion. If we had that we should be able to pay for two. I hope my successor and incoming VC will be able to do that.”