By Kayode Adeoti
The immediate past Sub Dean, Student Affairs, University of Ilorin, Dr Abduraheem Yusuf, yesterday, emerged the new Provost of the Kwara State College of Education (COED), Ilorin.
Yusuf, who was one of the 13 applicants who wrote both written and oral test, will replace the outgoing Provost, Dr Saka Isiaka Opobiyi, whose tenure would terminate at the end of this month (April).
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Musa Dasuki, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, said the tenure of the current Provost of the College, Dr. Saka Opobiyi expires at the end of April, 2018 while his successor is expected to take over first week of May.
Among those that aspired for the position of Provost were four lecturers from the College of Education, Ilorin and nine others from the University of Ilorin and Kwara State University, (KWASU), Malete.
The issue of who succeeds Opobiyi was said to have polarised the institution across interest lines with a section agitating for a successor from within the institution and another agitating for an external candidate in order to give the college an holistic change for rapid growth.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the college, Alhaji Abdulwaheed Ayelabegan, said, “as I speak to you, I am just getting to hear about the new provost because as at the time we left office, there had been no such announcement,” he stated.
The PRO however confirmed that the new provost will not be resuming until the beginning of next month when the five-year tenure of Opobiyi would have ended.
Yusuf, who is widely referred to as Comrade has a BA (ED), 2nd Class Upper, M.Ed (Curriculum Studies; Social Studies Education) and a Pd.D in Scoial Studies Education, all from the University of Ilorin. He is presently the Faculty Advisor, Enactus Nigeria and National Secretary, Social Studies Association of Nigeria (SOSAN). His research interest area include; Economics, Family Life Education, Social Studies Education and Instructional Strategies and Peace Education among others.
Meanwhile efforts to speak with the Provost-designate proved abortive as calls put through to his mobile phone and text message were not responded to.
In a related development, the Permanent Secretary announced the appointment of Dr. Muhammed D. Ibrahim as the new Provost and Mr. Oyedele Joshua Olugbenga as the new Registrar of the Kwara State College of Education (Technical), Lafiagi.
Dasuki stated that the governor also approved the appointment of Imam Abubakar as the new provost of the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilorin.
The Permanent Secretary added that Barr. Saka Kayode and Mallam Tajudeen Mahmoud have been appointed as the Registrar and Bursar of the College, respectively.
