Prof. Gbajabiamila: Portrait of a Transparent Leader
Every wo(man) has their portrait reflecting their character and ways of life. The portrait of a distinguished gentleman and classic par excellence, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila,the fifth vice chancellor of Citadel of Academic and Moral Excellence christened Crescent University,Abeokuta is a representation of selfless service, transparency in management of human and material resources, humility, objectivity,civility and fairness.
One of the few head-hunted eggheads from the United Kingdom and the diaspora to positively impact on the young and dynamic Crescent University, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila joined the services of the institution as a supporting top striker to his predecessor when he first served as deputy vice chancellor between 2011 and 2014.During this period, his cooperation with Prof. Kehinde Okeleye saw the university move to another level.
In early days of his administration, all departments' representatives of the university had a day out at Islamic Mission for Africa, Abiola Way, in Abeokuta ( the mother body of the university) where a white paper for his administration was to be formulated. There-with the presence of Chairman, Board of Trustees, His Excellency Judge Bola Ajibola- presentations were made, issues were thrashed and opinions were ventilated. It was a worthwhile exercise which gave room for academics and administrative members of staff to ventilate their presentations and chart anew course for the progressive development.
Every manager has their approach to management. To Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila Scientific management model is key to achieving efficiency and block all loopholes to monetary waste. There was no surprise that no sooner was he inaugurated than he introduced the biometric system for all members of staff of the university to "clock in" and "clock out" at their official work hours. With this machine, any member of staff who absconded from their official assignments were easily discovered and queried. However, to the consternation of many, he also published his own name in April 2016 on the list of members of staff who did not meet up with average punctuality rating as documented by the biometric machine. A leader by example, he officially offered an explanation that that was the period of his absence on campus when he travelled to other States of the country in pursuit of university matters.He seems to have come from another planet, people wondered aloud!
He does not rob Peter to pay Paul: he gives you your due, but he is not hasty in judgement. Like a judge in the law court, he processes conclusions on provable evidence. He values the health and safety of his workers, hence his insistence on health insurance of all members of staff who might need to attend to their health out of their station.Talking about a realistic manager who abhors waste of resources however little, Prof. Gbaja merits a portrait. His frugal management informs his scrutiny of budget presentations and quotations from contractors as he compares meticulously before assenting his approval.
He encourages independent minds, he does not take decisions rashly, he religiously embraces Third Opinion to balance views objectively. When he suspects a foul play in complainants of backbiters, he simply tells them to put their complaints in white and black. Soon will these apologists retreat into oblivion!He hardly allows rabble-rousers and layabouts to besiege his office to sing his praise unnecessarily. When being praised or appraised undeservedly, he asks why he deserves high-sounding and gargantuan accolades because to him, the minstrels are the ones who mislead their principals. He encourages people to objectively appraise his performance, giving the yardsticks.
An exemplar, Prof. Gbaja is a voracious speaker whose words attract his audience like weather.An attentive listener, he will not interject the speaker with scorn even when they appear the least of his staff. His body language suggests that humans are endowed with two ears and one mouth so that they should be able to listen as twice as they speak. When he listens, you mistake him for a taciturn but the moment he speaks, you behold a fantastic classic whose members of audience will always stay glued to his articulation from Genesis to Revelation. A listener, he works assiduously on feedback. This, one supposes, is a good strength of a visionary leader.
Humility and simplicity are two veritable attributes that stand him out as the moon does from the stars. He walks, speaks, reads and mingle softy and carefully among his subordinates.More often than not, Prof. Gbaja operates a horizontal communication rather than the usual vertical,top-down approach in management.This is manifest in the way he distributes official communication messages via his email to major stakeholders while at the same time, he responds quickly when reached through the medium-even students whose opinions he values so much. A rare manager of man and material resources, he copies those concerned on all issues via memos and emails and picks meaningful and resourceful facts presented to address issues. He is objective, at least with majority of issues because his decision is all-inclusive and open for further comments. Interestingly, his diction is friendly as he is never harsh but gentle with employment of words.
Unlike certain leaders, Prof. Gbajabiamila does not assume that he knows everything. He seeks opinions of experts and professionals from differing backgrounds when there is/was need, although he himself, a man of multifarious ideas. He acknowledges excellent propositions and even openly quote their sources among his subordinates. Once he credited head of department of mass communication on three things that make an ideal university, namely: course accreditation by recognised bodies, employability of graduates and their getting into further studies. This virtue-giving credits-is a rare one among leaders as many would rather attract credits meant for their subordinates to themselves and take all the glory.
Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila makes every academic, professional or administrative lieutenant important in the scheme of things. Rather than shield management affairs in 'kitchen of bedroom secrecy' , Prof. Gbaja operates an open, democratic management where no room is left for rumour or propaganda against his administration. As he openly takes stock of 'Citadel of Academic and Moral Excellence' he does not allow gossips and slanderers who cannot openly present their proofs.
He celebrates the uncelebrated of the students in whom in he discovers good prospects. Citable of this was his convocation speech in 2015 where he identified a first-class graduate from College of Environmental Sciences,COES, son of a cattle rearer from Kano that was privileged to be on his state's scholarship.In the said speech,Prof. Gbajabiamila openly advocated that people in this category across our clime should be encouraged and lifted to go to school.According to him,had it not been for Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso's Kano State scholarship,the genius in this alumnus would have been buried among the cows in the remote end of the countryside.
A rare manager of man and resources, he copies those concerned on any issues via memos and emails and picks meaningful and resourceful facts presented to address issues. He is objective, at least with majority of issues because his decision is all-inclusive and open.
Fire begets fire. Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila,who is a son of a teacher and eventually a teacher himself has a burning passion to develop future leaders at Crescent University,Abeokuta, the Citadel of Academic and Moral Excellence as envisioned by the Founder/Proprietor,His Excellency Judge Bola Ajibola. He relishes the fact that this university has produced more first-class females than males in its over 10 years of existence.As he continues this quest in his second year of his appointment, we wish his a smooth journey to success.
Idris Katib,
Public Relations Officer,
Crescent University,
Abeokuta,Nigeria.
08096629914
" DON'T ARRIVE ON TIME,ARRIVE BEFORE TIME"--Judge Bola Ajibola,former Judge of the International Court of Justice,Hague.