FG -Releases funds for payment of UNILORIN 49

The University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, has said it had fully paid entitlements of the reinstated 49 lecturers of the university as ordered by the Supreme Court. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, made this known yesterday while briefing newsmen on activities lined up for the 26th convocation of the university coming up during the week.

The lecturers had been sacked by the university authority for participating in a strike ordered by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2001.
Oloyede, who did not disclose the total amount spent on the lecturers’ entitlement, said the Federal Government provided all the resources to meet the obligations the Supreme Court imposed on the institution.

The VC explained that the University believed in the rule of law and could not have acted otherwise on the reinstated lecturers’ entitlements as ordered by the court.

Expressing delight that all the parties involved in the crisis had learnt their lessons, the VC added, “UNILORIN is a law-abiding corporate institution. Unless you want anarchy, it is in the interest of all to obey court orders. We have fully complied with the court orders. The Nigerian university system too had learnt appropriate lesson from the saga. The incident has made UNILORIN to remain focused.”
He absolved the Federal Government of any blame in the funding of its university, saying “the question we should ask is whether the funds are being properly spent or not.”

Oloyede frowned at flagrant award of honorary degrees by some universities to undeserving individuals in the society.
He added that honorary degrees were now up for grabs by the highest bidder, noting that honorary degrees could easily be procured without money in some of the country’s universities.
In his speech entitled “The journey so far,” the VC hinted that the university expended a sum of over 13 million naira on scholarship award to its 149 undergraduate scholars.

Oloyede disclosed that “to be convoking during the ceremonies that this occasion heralds are 6,014 first degree/diploma and 1,291 postgraduate degree holders. The university during the 2009/2010 academic session produced 19 first class, 857 second class upper division, 2,971 second class lower division, 1,403 third class and 202 pass graduates apart from additional 234 diploma graduates.”
“For the postgraduate category, the university produced some 75 PhDs, 1,086 Master’s degree and 130 postgraduate diploma graduantes. The total output of the university is therefore, 7,305 graduatesfor the year.”