The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako, has assured members of the university community and stakeholders at large that his administration will continue to work assiduously for the progress and development of the university till his last day in office, even as he presides over his last convocation ceremony in office.
Prof. Salako stated this while addressing members of the university Muslim community at a special Jumat, commemorating the 28th and 29th combined convocation ceremonies of the university, held at the University Mosque on Friday.
A statement signed by head of FUNAAB’s Directorate of Public Relations, Amb. Kola Adepoju, and made available to CompassNG, stated that the Vice Chancellor was accompanied to the Jumat service by fellow principal officers and top management staff of FUNAAB.
The statement further quoted Prof Salako as saying that it is too late for him and his management team at this tail end of his tenure in office to now rest on his oars.
He added that rather, his team has been reinvigorated, retooled and refired to improve on sustained academic and moral excellence, infrastructural development, as well as opening new vista for growth towards taking the university to greater heights.
Thanking the Muslim faithful for their support for his administration since he assumed office, the Vice-Chancellor solicited for more cooperation from the FUNAAB Muslim community and the entire staff and students of the institution, towards crowning the modest achievements of his administration with a resounding success in the remaining few months of his tenure.
Prof Salako pointed out that it is only in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility of religious tolerance, peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationship of staff and students that more meaningful development can further be achieved.
Prof. Salako enjoined trouble shooters to eschew violence, rancour and acrimony; warning that nobody can intimidate him or his management team out of the space of his responsibility to ensure peace and progress of the university.
He used the occasion to congratulate graduands who were at the Jumat service on the successful completion of their programmes in the university, charging them to always be good ambassadors of the university.
Pro Salako urge the Muslim community to join him and other stakeholders in hosting the combined convocation ceremonies.
Earlier in his sermon, the Chief Imam of the university mosque, Prof. Idris Ayinde, commended the Vice-Chancellor for arriving early for the special Jumat in his usual trademark of promptness.
Prof Ayinde thanked Allah for the modest achievements of Prof. Salako’s administration, and in particular, the peace and progress on campus.
The Chief Iman prayed Allah to grant the administration more progress and make the combined convocation ceremonies a huge success.
Meanwhile, activities lined up to mark the convocation ceremonies continue on Sunday with a commemorative Sunday service, holding at the Chapel of Grace, FUNAAB.
This will be followed on Monday with an agriculture and research fair and novelty match.
On Tuesday, there will be commissioning of projects and naming of monuments after former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other eminent personalities, as well as Convocation Press Conference.
On Wednesday, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr.Tunde Lemo, will deliver the 28th and 29th combined Convocation Lecture of the university; while graduate convocation ceremony will follow immediately.
It would be the turn of post-graduate graduands to convoke on Thursday; and this will be followed by the Convocation Luncheon for invited guests.
