The Outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the First Technical University, Ibadan, Professor Ayobami Salami says he introduced the award of scholarship for students in the 33 local government areas of the state to give indigent students access to study at the institution.
Salami, an Ife-trained Professor, revealed this on Tuesday at a special reading event organised by the institution’s Reading Society with the theme, “Thinking Witbout the Box: A Conversation with the Groundbreaking Pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the First Technical University, Ibadan.”
“The local government scholarship was my idea not that of the government,” Salami said during the event.
“I went to the governor and told him about my proposal. Because if there is fees we have shut out the Oyo State indigenes, so what is the benefit of Tech-U if indigenes don’t have access to it. So, of what service are we to the state?
“I told him that instead of all these Maruwa and okada empowerment, let local government sponsor 5 students annually. At least 3 of them will make it in life and they’ll be interested in developing their community.”
He explained that following the approval of the scholarship, many politicians thought it was an opportunity for them to bring in their children, a move he had to prevent.
“I went to the Governor and told him to give me the free hand to select recipients. He said you have it.
“As soon as we started it, they started coming with children of this, children of that.. but I said no, the purpose would be defeated.
“Then I said, each local government should submit list of 10-15 students for a competitive exam and the nominees must have attended a public school in the state. They went to report to the governor but he didn’t answer.”
He noted that the level of independence the administration of late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi gave the institution’s management is central to its success.
“That is the legacy that the current governor has also maintained. I am happy he prioritise the politics of development above that of partisanship.
“Neither the former governor nor the present one has interfered in Tech-U’s administration. I commend them both for that because they could have rejected my idea and I would have returned to Ife.”
