Alumni association of Osun State University said the institution has been among the best in the country before the emergence of its incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor Labo Popoola
This follows a statement attributed to the VC during an interview with some national daily that the school he inherited was “anything goes, was a student were lawless, involved in cultism and were always in the news”.
But the association in a statement jointly signed by its President and Secretary, Mr Oriola Kabir and Abubakar Abdulbasit and made available to Vanguard on Sunday in Osogbo, described Prof Popoola’s statement as “deceitful, posterous and an attempt to disparage the great efforts of the founding fathers and past stakeholders of the university”.
“Since its establishment in 2007, Osun State University has maintained a reputation as a world-class citadel of learning, and a mill for cutting-edge academic research, innovation, and knowledge production. This is not only contained in the dreams of the founding fathers but is also glaring through several academic feats, awards, and laurels achieved by the University within the first few years of its establishment.
“Firstly, the University before the advent of Prof. Popoola’s administration was an organised society, with well-cultured students. Stating that he didn’t inherit an organised institution is a claim very far from the truth. The students and the leadership of the institution hold dearly the mission statement of the University which reads thus; “Producing Globally Competitive Graduates”
“We would equally like to point the attention of the general public to the brilliant performance of our colleagues who travelled to Ukraine to complete their medical programmes. Again, these were students whom Professor Popoola never had any input in their academic journey. Some of these students are Miss Lateefat Oyeleye Abiola who emerged as the best graduating medical student not only at the V.N Karazin Kharkiv National University where she studied but in entire Ukraine; and Motunrayo Oluwasayo who also bagged the award of the best-behaved student at the V.N Karazin Kharkiv National University.
In the following year, Uniosun repeated the same feat as another two students; Mustapha Lateefah Kemi and Adebayo Rukayat Abiodun emerged as the students with the highest and second-highest scores in their final medical examinations respectively.
“Therefore, Professor Labode Popoola owes our association, Osun State University Alumni Association; the founding fathers of the university, past management staff, academic and non-academic staff members and other relevant stakeholders the moral responsibility of retracting his highly malicious, misleading and ahistorical statement about Osun State University.
It will equally be our utmost pleasure that in the future, Professor Labode Popoola should be mindful, so as not to discredit our university in his efforts at clout chasing and self-aggrandizement.
In his five years tenure, we reckon with the fact that he has done his bit, just like his other predecessors. However, unguarded statements, which are lacking in facts, would not be entertained against our university”, the statement partly reads.
Credit: Vanguard