Two of the candidates, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye and Professor Janet Olubukola Olaitan emerged as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) respectively through a transparently conducted election at the sitting of Senate on Thursday, 27th April 2017.

The Vice-Chancellor nominated the four contenders for the two positions. Professor Janet Olaitan Provost, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, was nominated alongside the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Esther Olufunmilayo Asekun-Olarinmoye for the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), while Professor Adebooye, a former Provost, College of Agriculture was nominated alongside Professor Ganiyu Olatunde a former Acting Vice-Chancellor.

Professor Adebooye however emerged unopposed after his co-nominee for the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic); Professor G. O. Olatunde withdrew a day before the election and pledged his full support for Adebooye’s candidacy.

While announcing the result of the election, which commenced at 9am and ended at 10:30am, the Acting Registrar of the University, Mr. Gafar Adebayo Shittu informed members of Senate that Council had earlier approved four candidates nominated by the Vice-Chancellor to vie for the exalted positions.
Mr. Shittu also informed members that Council had also on 19 April, 2017 granted the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN the go ahead to approve the results of the election to enable the victorious candidates assume duties immediately.
In his acceptance speech, Professor Adebooye pledged his loyalty to the Vice-Chancellor and the University. He said: “I want to thank Mr.Vice-Chancellor most sincerely for the very difficult position he made me to take in the last few days on this matter. I thank the Senate for consenting to my candidature for the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of this University.

“I want to humbly promise you most sincerely that we strictly adhere to the tenet of academic integrity. I will support Mr. Vice-Chancellor with all loyalty but we shall stand up at every moment, every time to defend the autonomy of the University, the integrity of the academia and the standards of research, propelling academic culture of this University at all times. Please congratulate me only after two years when we must have ended successfully.”

In her acceptance speech, Professor Olaitan also promised to support the Vice-Chancellor in the pursuance of peace, integrity and excellence in the University.” I want to give all glory to God Almighty for giving me the opportunity to ascend to this position.
“I want to appreciate the Vice-Chancellor for nominating me to run for this post. I say a big ‘thank you’ to all my senior colleagues, my colleagues, Deans and HODs for supporting me. This is our University and I promise to assist the Vice-Chancellor in pursuing peace, integrity and excellence that he is known for to move this University to higher grounds,” she pledged.

The Vice-Chancellor, while congratulating the winners saluted all the candidates for running a decent campaign that has ended well. He appreciated Senate members and the entire University community for supporting his insistence on due process that led to the emergence of the two Deputy Vice-Chancellors.

PROFILE OF THE DVCs
PROFESSOR O.C. ADEBOOYE - DVC (Academic)
Clement Adebooye is a Professor of Horticulture/Plant Physiology; he received his PhD (Agronomy/Plant Physiology) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is also a holder of Certificate in Tissue Culture Techniques (United Nations University, Tokyo). Prof Adebooye started his academic journey at the Lagos State Polytechnic where he worked as a Lecturer III from 1993-1995. He joined the services of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in March 1995 and rose to the post of Associate Professor (Reader) on 1st October 2006. He was appointed Full Professor in September 2009 by Osun State University, Osogbo and he willingly transferred his services to the Osun State University, Osogbo in January 2010. He served at different times as Head of Department (Agronomy), Provost/Dean of College of Agriculture, Director of Research and Linkages and Director of Quality Assurance at the Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria. He brought significant positive changes into the University with a serious commitment to academic excellence and propagation of knowledge. He is the serving Ambassador Scientist for the German Government Humboldt Foundation in Nigeria, a position that affords him the opportunity to represent the Foundation at academic meetings and participate in high profile meetings, on behalf of the German Humboldt Foundation. He is also the serving Secretary-General of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES) that reviews proposal applications and decides on award of fellowships and grants to African scholars, including from East and Southern Africa region. He is the first Nigerian to serve in this capacity.
Adebooye was announced the winner of 2009 German Humboldt Alumni Scientist Award by the German Government’s Humboldt Foundation. The award is valued at 125,000 Euro and he is the first Nigerian to win this highly prestigious award. To date, Prof Adebooye has won 12 competitive international research grants. The totality of Professor Adebooye’s research grants (2011 to date) stands at about twelve million US dollars (US$12.0m) with grants from United Nations, the German, Italian, Canadian and Indian governments. He currently serves on the selection board of three international funding agencies where fellowships and scholarships are granted on a competitive basis. He is also the serving Regional Project Coordinator for Canadian Government indigenous vegetables (Micro Veg Project), now being implemented in Nigeria and Benin Republic (Project 107983).
He served as PhD external examiner for to many universities within and outside Nigeria Adebooye is presently a Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Department of Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

PROFESSOR. J. O. OLAITAN, DVC (Administration)
Prof. Janet Olubukola Olaitan joined the services of Osun State University as one of the pioneer staff in 2007. She obtained her Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree (Microbiology) in 1992 from Lagos State University. She had her Master of Science and PhD in Microbiology from University of Ibadan in 1998 and 2005 respectively. Prof. Olaitan started her carrier as an Assistant lecturer at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB) in 1999 and became Lecturer I in 2005. She was appointed Senior Lecturer in 2009 at the Osun State University, Osogbo and rose to the rank of Professor of Public Health and Environmental Microbiology in 2015. She is a member of some learned and professional associations including Nigerian Association of Microbiology (NSM), American Association of Microbiology (ASM), Society For Applied Microbiology (SfAM, UK), American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), International Union of Microbiological Societies as well as West African Research and Innovation Management Association.
Prof. Olaitan has accumulated a wealth of experience in administration over the years. She was the pioneer Coordinator and Acting Head of Department of Biological Sciences of the University between 2008 and 2011. She served as the Acting Dean of Student Affairs between 2011 and 2013. She was the pioneer Acting Dean of Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences in 2013 and Acting Provost of College of Sciences, Engineering and Technology in 2015/16. She was elected the Dean of Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences and appointed the Provost of College of Sciences, Engineering and Technology in 2016. She served in these positions till her election as DVC(Admin) on 28th April 2017. She is the Congregational Representative on UNIOSUN Council.
She has published academic papers in both Local and International Journals. She has been an external examiner to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. She is an editor UNIOSUN journal of Science and also a peer reviewer to Nigerian Journal of Science, Nigerian Journal of Microbiology, the Research Journal of Health Sciences and African Health Sciences. She had won Tetfund Research grant and Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM) President’s Fund Grant. She is a PhD external examiner to universities within and outside Nigeria. She has also attended several scientific meetings and presented papers both at home and outside the country.