Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello: Erudite Scholar committed to lasting Peace, Excellence in LASU

THOMAS IMONIKHE

 

NOT even her fanatical backers had anticipated the total peace, unity, understanding and very conducive learning environment witnessed across the campuses  of the Lagos State University (LASU) since her assumption of office on September 17^th as the 9^th Vice Chancellor of the institution.

 

Some doomsayers had predicted that the storm, which characterized the final selection process that culminated in the emergence of Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the pioneer Professor of Physiology at the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) as the substantive VC would trigger teething challenges for the academic.

 

Even tongues had started wagging when the results of the two earlier selection processes were cancelled by the Visitor and Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, based on the avalanche of petitions that trailed them before ordering a third rigorous exercise in which the incumbent came tops but which some critics had attributed to vested interests.

 

Surprisingly, however, and not minding her pedigree and qualification for the plum job, the critics had specifically linked the cancellations to the new VC’s spouse who is the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello.

 

But such pessimists were soon disappointed and proven wrong as the appointee in no time, having been deeply involved in the academic growth trajectory of the university and drawing from her decades-long wealth of experience as erudite academic and former Acting VC, hit the grounds running with a clear vision and focus.

 

For instance, Olatunji- Bello convened an inaugural meeting with the institution’s staff and students where she listed welfare, infrastructure, scholarship, conducive learning environment and job opportunities for students as some of her priorities in office.

 

Addressing jubilant students and workers, who welcomed her with colourful banners and songs as she arrived at the Senate building, the VC declared: “Your welfare is important to me. We will ensure that the learning environment is conducive and competitive and we will provide the infrastructure for you.

 

“We will also ensure University scholars award is revamped. All university scholars will get 50 per cent refund of their school fees yearly. We will also provide studentship employment opportunities”, amid loud ovation from the students.

 

Though just under five months in the hot seat, some stakeholders have expressed deep satisfaction with her leadership style predicting a rancour-free and successful tenure for the helms woman based on her antecedent and steely resolve to run an all-inclusive administration and sustain an enduring harmonious relationship with various interest groups and unions on the campuses such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU; Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU,    LASU chapter.

 

Besides, they described her as very intelligent, focused and progressive academic, whose positive impacts as former Acting Vice-Chancellor (VC) speaks volumes about her ability to succeed in her new task, as well as having the capacity not only to consolidate on the achievements of her predecessor in office, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, but meet the dreams and aspirations of the institution’s founding fathers in conjunction with the stakeholders.

 

A woman with heart of gold and God-fearing, the VC seems to to have mirrored the popular quote by Robyn Rihanna Fenty, a Barbadian singer, actress, fashion designer and business woman that: “There’s something so special about a woman who dominates in a man’s world. It takes a certain grace, strength, intelligence, fearlessness, and the nerve to never take no for an answer.”

 

Surely,  it has taken Olatunji-Bello hard work, intelligence and divine grace to have risen from grass to grace attaining the pinnacle of the ivory tower where men constitute overwhelming majority, which accounts for the fact that she is just the second female VC to be crowned, the first being Prof. Jadesola Akande of blessed memory, since the inception of the varsity in 1983.

 

Born on April 23, 1964 to Mrs. Jadesola Ibidapo (nee Abraham) of Ita Kose, Lagos Island and Mr. Emiola Ibidapo-Okunrinboye of Owo, Ondo State, Ibiyemi attended Anglican Girls Primary School in Surulere from 1970 to 1974 and Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School in Surulere, between 1974 and 1979. She proceeded to Methodist Girls High School in Yaba, and Lagos State College of Science and Technology, Ikosi Campus where she did her “A” levels in 1982.

 

Her quest for tertiary education took the promising talent to Nigeria’s premier University of Ibadan where she bagged a BSc (Hons) in Physiology in 1985 and after her NYSC proceeded to the University of Lagos, she was awarded MSc Physiology in 1987.

 

Thereafter, she attended a six-month research training in the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in the US in 1994 while in 1998, she was awarded a PhD in Physiology at the University of Lagos, while her academic laurels also include a Post-graduate Diploma in Theology from the Bible College of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 2001 and a Post-graduate Diploma in Education PGDE at the Lagos State University in 2018.

 

Olatunji- Bello’s working career saw her rising through the ranks from an Assistant Lecturer (1988-1991), Lecturer II (1991-1996), Lecturer 1 (1996 -1999) at the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos, Idi Araba while between 1999 and 2005, she was a Senior Lecturer.

 

She rose to the position of Associate Professor between 2005 and October 1, 2007 at the UNILAG College of Medicine while later in October 2007, she was appointed the first Professor of Physiology in Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).

 

In 2012, she was nominated by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to attend Course 34 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State – the highest policy advisory body of the Federal Government and  awarded Member of the National Institute (mni) certificate.

 

She was awarded a Fellowship by the Physiological Society in United Kingdom (UK) in 2017, followed by the Fellowship of the Physiological Society of Nigeria and later  appointed a Fellow of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Mitigation in 2019.

 

The new VC  has held very sensitive and tasking positions, which include: Acting Vice Chancellor, LASU (July –December 2010; January – October 2011); Deputy Vice Chancellor (December 2008–December 2011); Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), LASU (November 2011-January 2013) and Head, Department of Physiology, LASUCOM (October 2007 – December 2008).

 

Olatunji-Bello served as Lagos State Government’s representative on the Lagos State University (LASU) Governing Council between 2004 and 2008 and the pioneering Director of LASU Directorate of Advancement established by former Vice Chancellor, Prof Lanre Fagbohun, in 2016.

 

According to the records, she has graduated four PhDs and 37 MSc candidates, while still supervising more PhD students. A brilliant academic, she has over 53 publications to her credit and is happily married to Mr. Tunji Bello, a journalist and lawyer. They are blessed with three children in addition to being an Area Pastor in the Lagos Province 1 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

 

Recently, Mrs. Tunji-Bello, who is very passionate about raising competent medical personnel to address the nation’s health challenges, canvassed expanded admission quota for prospective medical students for the Lagos State University College of Medicine from the current 100 to 150 students, based on significant improvement in facilities and quality of personnel that the College has witnessed over the years.

 

Justifying  an upward review of the institution’s admission quota, she noted: “Since the last visit (in 2013), as you will discover very shortly, the College has witnessed a rapid infrastructural transformation in terms of building structures, equipment and facilities as well as a significant upgrade in both quality and quantity of personnel.”

 

The VC, who was addressing a 14-member accreditation team of the Medical and Dental Association of Nigeria led by Dr. N. U Nwakanma, its Deputy Registrar, revealed that, “The MBBS programme commenced in 1999 with a total number of 52 students. Today, we have produced 15 sets of medical graduates comprising 846 medical doctors. The quota for students’ intake of 50 at inception increased to the present 100 in 2013”.

 

It is noteworthy that an apparently-satisfied leader of the delegation in his response, concurred with the VC on the upgrades and assured that the team would be objective in its assessment of the programme.

 

“It’s obvious that this place is not what it was five years ago when we last came. The little we have seen shows there are serious improvements. We will try to be as diligent and as objective as possible in our peer review”, he assured.

 

However, moving forward, some of the varsity’s stakeholders have identified staff welfare especially the contentious Earned Allowance, promotion, regular training, improved infrastructure

accommodation, conducive work environment and provision of needed working tools, improved security as well as upgrading and equipping of laboratories across the three campuses as areas requiring urgent attention of the VC to restore the institution’s global ranking to a comfortable position.

 

They further made a strong case for a purposeful and focused leadership, one always striving for component parts of the institution to work together as a team to achieve set objectives which are sine qua non for LASU to attain greater heights, remain one of the leading citadels of knowledge in the country, and make its products sufficiently equipped in both knowledge and character to be global players.

 

 

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