…New VC Promises to Improved Academic Performances
By Olalekan Olagunju and Ranmilowo Ojalumo
The board of Trustee of Crawford University, Igbesa has appointed Professor. Reuben Jiya Kolo as the vice chancellor of the faith based institution.
Prof. Kolo’s appointment is contained in a letter signed by the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the university, Prof. Peter Okebukola. The appointment is for a non-renewable period of five years, with effect from October 5, 2020.
The new VC took over from Professor Isaac Rotimi Ajayi as the 4th VC of the great institution.
The handing over ceremony which took place in the school recently was set in motion with the inauguration of an auditorium tagged “Legacy Building”. The auditorium was a self-help project initiated by Prof. Ajayi as a means of giving back to the University community from free will donations of members of staff of the Ivory Tower and supported generously by the owner.
Commending the emergence of Kolo as the new VC of the institution, Ajayi said “by experience and exposure, Kolo is a thorough bred academia of vast experience in university administration; as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University for about 10 years, his appointment is well-deserved”.
While speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the new VC said “I would like to say without hesitation and iota of reservation that you are a wonderful community. Looking at our heritage of being a faith-based institution and also by the virtue that we are located in Faith city, we are on a vintage pedestal; talking about our Motto,’Knowledge with godliness’, it has spelt out our focus clearly”.
Kolo reiterated unflinching commitment to uphold the university Vision which is “To be a Centre of excellence producing graduates with balanced education”. The Mission “To be an international institution of learning for training mind, body and spirit into a total personality to serve God and humanity”. And the Core Values, which are “Godliness, Intellectualism, Integrity, Entrepreneurship and community”.
Kolo said when the core values are observed and blended with team work, it will foster great achievements in order to place the University on higher pedestals.
He however solicited for team-spirit, cooperation, creative partnership and support of all members of staff and other stakeholders, even as he promised to keep the positive footprints set before him in his tenure by God’s grace.
Earlier in his inaugural speech, the new VC promised to improve the academic performance of the school by ensuring that the school employs the world’s best practices in learning and teaching to improve students’ academic performances.
Prof. Kolo also promised to establish programmes that would attract more students to the university, adding that he would consolidate on what he predecessor had put in place.
Prof. Kolo is a Professor of Water Resources, Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology.
Born on March 21, 1962, the new VC hails from Doko, in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State. He bagged his BSc. in Zoology in 1987 from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He had his MSc and PhD in Hydrobiology and Fisheries at the University of Ibadan and FUT Minna.
He joined FUT Minna on July 11, 1990, as an Assistant Lecturer. Prof. Reuben Kolo, became a professor of Water Resources, Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology on October 1, 2010.
Prof. Kolo has held several positions in the university such as Dean, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology from 2015 to 2019, and Deputy Dean, Postgraduate School 2012 to 2013.
Others are Deputy Director, Centre for Climate Change and Freshwater Resources 2005 to 2008, Coordinator, Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) 2004 to 2005.
He is a member of the Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN), National Association of Fish Farmers and Aquaculturists (NAFFA), and Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FSN), among others. He is well published in notable local and international journals.
