EXCLUSIVE: Why We Closed AAUA Front Gate Permanently – VC

By Emmanuel Oluwadola

The Vice-Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Professor Olugbenga Ebenezer Ige, has said the management shut the university's front gate permanently to prevent further loss of students' lives.

Professor Ige disclosed this in an exclusive interview with campus journalists yesterday.

He revealed that the directive came from the state government, affirming that since the indefinite closure of the gate in 2021, the university has not recorded the loss of students to accidents along the terrain.

"That big gate has been closed permanently. If you notice, since 2021 when that gate was closed, none of our students has lost his or her life through accidents in that area.

"It was on this basis that the Governor said we should close the gate and open the other one along the permanent site so that we can move our students away from that dangerous terrain. If anything happens on that road and it affects people, 70 per cent will be our students because we populate this community," VC said.

He further stressed that the university prioritizes safeguarding students' lives and properties above the aesthetic value the gate may bring to the institution.

"For the university, it is better for us to safeguard the lives of our students than to look at the aesthetic value of the university. This is 2024, and we have recorded no accidents. This means that this decision is best to save the lives of our students, and that is why we are here, to save the lives and property of our students," he said.

Management to reopen NDDC hostel

Reacting to whether extra provisions were made to cater for more admitted students, Prof. Ige assured that enough facilities and ongoing projects were in place to address accommodation issues.

"This year, as I mentioned, we admitted 6,670 students. It's because most candidates prefer Adekunle Ajasin University due to the stability of our calendar, the diligence of our workers, and the enthusiasm of our students to continue to excel. So, we have sufficient facilities.

"We now have numerous lecture theatres in our university, thanks to the TED Fund. In the Faculty of Education, we have three large theatres. In the Faculty of Arts, we have three large theatres. The Social Sciences, which is also newly built, also have similar facilities.

"The only challenge we are facing now is accommodation. However, we are working on that. And by the grace of God, the big NDDC hostel, the contractors have resumed work on-site. We anticipate that before the end of this year, we'll start accommodating students there," VC said.