Produce wealth creators not job seekers, Ambode tells new LASU VC

Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode says the new leadership of state-owned Lagos State University (LASU) should, in addition to ending the protracted crisis in the school, focus on producing wealth creators and not mere job seekers.

Ambode spoke on Monday at the inauguration of Olanrewaju Fagbohun, a professor and newly appointed vice chancellor of institution. LASU in the last one decade had celebrated more crises than academic excellence.

According to Ambode, his administration is determined to give the school a new beginning and that the new management must key into the vision by nurturing students to become wealth creators and innovators who can contribute to nation building.

“Over the past few years, LASU has had her fair share of successes and challenges. As a result, there is a lot of work required to propel the university to a world-class status. As we set our sights on a viable future, we must ask ourselves some important questions: How successful are our students after they graduate from our institution? What is the university’s contribution to our community, our country and the world?

“I urge that we all ponder over these questions and use today’s event as a rallying call for all to join hands to move LASU forward.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that the new vice chancellor is assuming office at a challenging time in the history of the university. He has the task of rekindling hope and rebuilding confidence in the system after a protracted crisis. In this task, he requires the support and cooperation of all the stakeholders, particularly the academic and non-academic staff as well as students, all of whom he must carry along to enthrone a peaceful atmosphere that will promote academic excellence,” the governor said.

He said the state was not just passionate about academic excellence but equally committed to raising the standards and providing the necessary infrastructure for the institutions to deliver results.

He said the journey towards the actualisation of his vision for the institution began on September 22, 2015, when the governing council was inaugurated, and to realise the vision, he assented to a bill amending the enabling law setting up the institution, which now allowed the vice chancellor a single tenure of five years.

The amendment, according to the governor, was fundamental, as it will address pertinent issues that have for long created discord within the academic community.

In his acceptance speech, Fagbohun said: “My strategic imperatives are to restore peace, foster high level scholarship, make gains on previous gains, create an environment that can attract funds and make the institution a valued partner to the Lagos State, the Nigerian nation and the international community.”