Osodeke, Other ASUU Leaders Hail Ex UNILORIN VC, Abdulkareem

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) led by the Union's National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, converged on the University of Ilorin to celebrate the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sulyman Age Abdulkareem, three days to the expiration of his tenure for what they called his integrity, humility and for bringing the feud between the two ASUU factions, which lasted more than a generation at the University, to an end.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the University of Ilorin chapter of ASUU, Prof. Moyosore Saliu Ajao, noted that Prof. Abdulkareem was celebrated because he effectively identified with the struggles of the Union.

Speaking at the event, the President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said that ASUU's struggle is a noble one and a resistance of an attempt to destroy public universities. He noted that Prof Abdulkareem was the second Vice Chancellor that ASUU will celebrate because he was not a typical Chief Executive of a Nigerian University who behaves like a politician. 

He noted that the first VC to be celebrated as such was Prof. Ikenna Onyido, who is a Professor of Chemistry and a former Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umidike, Abia State, who came up with the theory of cascading mediocrity in which politicians and public office holders always appoint "yes-men" into various offices.

While delivering his lecture, the guest speaker at the event, who is also a former ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, described Prof. Abdulkareem as a man of history and an unabashed critic of strikes who succeeded in bringing Unilorin ASUU back into the mainstream of the Union.