The Governing Council of the University of Lagos, (UNILAG) at the weekend approved the appointment of Professor Rahamon Bello as the 11th Vice Chancellor of the 50-year-old institution. He would assume office today. Details of how the former deputy VC (Management Services) and later acting VC, Professor Bello emerged the new VC after the Selection Board headed by the council Chairman, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode could authoritatively be revealed by Hittinfo
After the death of the Late VC, Professor Adetokunbo Babatunde Sofoluwe on May 12, the council after meeting on Friday, May 18, approved the appointment of Professor Bello as acting VC for six months. Daily Sun learnt that at the close of submission of application, eight professors applied for the job, six came from UNILAG and two others that were identified by the joint Council/Senate search team. On Saturday, November 10, the selection board made of five members, including the council Chairman,
Deacon Onosode, two Senate representatives and two council members conducted the interview starting from 9.00 a.m. The source revealed that at end of the interview, Professor Bello scored over 80 per cent and was the only candidate recommended to the governing council for approval and same day the council met to ratify his appointment. According to a Daily Sun source, the unique aspect of the selection process was that the character and integrity of the eight professors interviewed by the council selection board was put under search light because the VC would be in charge of students and the running of the institution.
Daily Sun further gathered that Professor Bello would resume office today to avoid creating a vacuum because he could not act as acting VC beyond six months as November 12 would make it six months after Professor Sofoluwe died in office. Reacting to the emergence of Professor Bello as the new VC, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Karo Ogbinaka, told Daily Sun on phone that the selection exercise went normally because the candidates conducted the campaign for the plum job in a matured way.
He revealed that before the selection exercise commenced, the union wrote the governing council a letter urging the body to follow due process in the selection process. In a statement confirming the appointment, the Information Section of the university in a release signed by the Deputy Registrar, Mr. Seth Dare said the appointment of the Professor of Chemical Engineering as the eleventh VC of the University was for a period of five years taking effect from Monday, November 12, 2012.
The Governing Council at its special meeting held on November 10, 2012 unanimously adopted the report of the Selection Board that Professor Rahamon Adisa Bello be appointed Vice-Chancellor with effect from Monday, November 12, 2012. Born on October 6, 1948, in Iboro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Professor Rahamon Adisa Bello attended Egbado College, Ilaro, Ogun State for his secondary school education and passed out in 1966 with Grade One in the West African School Certificate Examination.
He later attended Technical College, Ibadan, now The Polytechnic, Ibadan, and obtained the Ordinary National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 1968. Professor Bello proceeded to University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) where he graduated with First Class Honours degree in Chemical Engineering (1974).
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