By Leshi Adebayo
The management of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has announced the appointment of Professor Afeez Bello as its acting Vice-Chancellor.
The development comes several months after controversies that surrounded the VC selection process which began in July, leading to its suspension by the school authorities, due to litigations arising from dichotomy between PhD and medical fellowship certifications.
Bello, a 45-year-old Geo-Technical Engineering Professor, before his appointment, was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (administration and development). He is expected to resume office on Friday.
His predecessor, Labo Popoola, a Professor of Forest Economics, whose tenure ended on Thursday, is expected to return to the University of Ibadan where he is a serving lecturer.
The university’s Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing council, Yusuf Alli (SAN), while announcing the appointment on Wednesday, said the appointment became imperative following a subsisting ligation over the selection process.
He stated that the decision was necessary to avoid a vacuum in the university administration, while pledging the commitment of the university management to abide by the verdicts of the court as “a law abiding institution.”
The acting VC, Professor Afeez Bello, was born on October 11, 1976 and he hails from Ilobu, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State.
He attended Ilobu Secondary Commercial Grammar School where he finished in 1993. He gained admission into Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, in 1995 to study Civil Engineering.
In 2005, he bagged his M.Sc in Civil Engineering from the University of Ibadan and later, in 2010, he proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, where he obtained his PhD in Civil Engineering.
Bello started off his lecturing career in 2007 and has taught in several institutions including his alma mater, where he started out. He is described as scholarly, humane and a religious person.
He was recently elected as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor by the university’s Senate.
