By Mahdi Waziri Isa
The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, FUL, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye, has restated a personal oath he made in 1997 never to use his office to victimize any staff member or student.
Professor Ibileye said the oath has guided his 28 years in academic administration and remains binding on him as the fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor of FUL.
“God Almighty, the day I use my pen to victimize anybody, take the vice-chancellorship from me,” he declared during an engagement with principal officers at the university.
He said the vow reflects his commitment to fairness, justice, and equity for all members of the university community, irrespective of ethnicity, religion, language, or personal relationships.
“If you suppress anybody, God Almighty will hold you accountable. And you will suffer for it,” the VC warned Deans, Heads of Department, and other officers handling official memos.
Professor Ibileye also used the occasion to announce a 24-hour memo turnaround policy for all principal officers. He said any memo kept for more than 24 hours on a working day should be considered a failure of duty, because “destinies are tied to these memos.”
“Because you don’t like somebody’s face, does not remove from the veracity of the claim that person is making. The moment I see your memo, I address myself to the truth of that memo,” he said.
The VC urged the FUL community to focus on merit and service. “We are all the same. We are here for just one common thing, to aspire and develop ourselves,” he stated.
His remarks drew loud affirmations from the audience, with university officials describing the stance as a direct commitment to transparency, merit, and administrative efficiency.
Professor Ibileye assumed office as FUL’s fourth substantive Vice-Chancellor with a pledge to run an administration anchored on speed, justice, and service to staff and students.