***Seeks Retraction Of Abominable Statement
By Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
The Management of the Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has decried the statements of the National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, during an interview he granted Arise Television on the ongoing strike action by the Association, labelling the institution, among some other state-owned institutions in Nigeria, as “quacks” and “irrelevant” for the singular reason that these institutions are not on strike.
A statement by KWASU’s Director of Relations, Dr. Saeedat Aliyu, said: “The management of Kwara State University considers these statements as undeserving of an academic of Professor Osodeke’s purported status who should know better than to denigrate institutions of higher learning for one reason that is unrelated to any factor used to measure the standard of institutions anywhere in the world.
“Professor Osodeke’s statements are tantamount to bullying. They are reckless, uncalled for and a denigration of the status he occupies as national head of the union of academic staff in Nigeria.”
Kwara State University, the statement stressed, is an institution founded on the vision of advancing the frontiers of knowledge for the good of society, adding that the institution has taken the lead as the first public university in Nigeria to extend higher education curriculum to include equipping its students with entrepreneurship skills to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Besides, the statement explained that KWASU is also the leading University which focuses on communities with the aim of solving challenges they face, while helping to develop these communities, adding that the institution is “currently the only university in Nigeria going green in her thinking and activities as proactive measures to save the environment. All these reflect in our mantra of the green University for Community Development and Entrepreneurship”.
It added that KWASU is the first institution in Nigeria to mount Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering as a forward thinking move to develop human capacity for the nation’s aeronautic and astronautic needs.
“Many of our ideas are being replicated by many other institutions which Professor Osodeke eulogised in his uncritical statements.
“Kwara State University’s entrepreneurship training model is now a recommended addition to institutions in the country just as we helped to develop the curriculum of secondary schools to enable the inclusion of entrepreneurship training at that level.
“Kwara State University has all of its academic programmes accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and requisite professional regulatory bodies.
“As an institution founded barely thirteen years ago, KWASU has made a name for itself as a University which focuses on breaking new grounds, on doing new things and advancing society through its students’ activities and contributions to industry and society as a whole.
“With excellent academic staff, many of whom are renowned nationally and internationally, coupled with the quality of our graduates, many of whom are in practically every state of the country and even in many countries of the world, the statements of the ASUU National President which described KWASU as among universities that are “quacks” and irrelevant in the comity of universities in the country indicates that he is limited in his understanding of what is happening around him: this is a sad commentary on the status of the person holding such a revered position.
“A retraction of this abominable statement and a published apology to Kwara State University forthwith from Professor Emmanuel Osodeke are in order as the institution would not be quiet in the face of slanderous accusations made against its very existence and contributions.”
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