Portrait Of Professor Ibraheem Gbajabiamila:40 Years Of Academic Excellence
Today I celebrate and applaud my boss,my unassuming leader,a corporate classic, a workaholic,a goal-getter, an administrative guru and an academic forerunner, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, who is currently the Vice Chancellor of Crescent University Abeokuta, Nigeria, on his 40th milestone serving the academic world and humanity.
So far, so glorious, it has been a modestly huge contribution to the development of education from a passionate teacher,son of a teacher, grandson of a teacher and great grandson of a teacher whose forebears contributed their best to education and human capital at various times.It is a legacy well bequeathed and beautifully sustained.
His sustainable leadership of the university of academic and moral excellence, Crescent University Abeokuta, as envisioned by our great founder,His Excellency late Judge Bola Ajibola (SAN) and now being sustainably propelled by the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Prince Mahruf Adesegun Ajibola (SAN) is a success story and also a beautiful testimonial of a tireless academic icon.
It is gratifying that Prof.Ibraheem Gbajabiamila is one of the few scholars headhunted from abroad to propel the wheel of academic progress of the fledging Crescent University about one and a half decades ago.
It is apposite to cursorily highlight some of his archival achievements, talking about development and growth of Crescent University Abeokuta.
Professor Gbajabiamila was actively involved in the establishment of Bola Ajibola College of Law in 2012.The College has since blossomed into a world class law training faculty, having produced first class graduates from the Nigerian Law School within few years of its establishment.
Proudly, the leadership of Prof. Gbajabiamila has also produced one hundred percent National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation status of all academic programmes at Crescent University.Without prejudice to other universities, this is a rare feat especially where some of our programmes like Mass Communication and Microbiology got above 90% scores.
The administration of Prof. Gbajabiamila it was that fortuitously achieved resource verification and accreditation of College of Health Sciences, comprising Nursing, Anatomy and Physiology.This collect will be producing its first set of graduate in a couple of sessions.
It is also on record that his leadership has zero tolerance for drug abuse, cultism and examination malpractice.Students who exhibit rabid behaviour on campus are subjected to random drug tests while those proved positive are sanctioned by the university.Students caught cheating in the examinations are not only rusticated but their departments are shamed by entering the vice chancellor's examination malpractice league table.
Professor Gbajabiamila is favourably disposed to staff welfare.His management team ensured that the federal salary pay for members of staff saw the light of day.He is keen on general welfare of students.
It is gladdening that Crescent University Abeokuta has witnessed construction of more halls of residence for students as admission numbers grow.This is to ease the ever increasing numbers of students' intake year after year.
The tenure of Professor Gbajabiamila has also graciously witnessed a myriad of scholarships for indigent but exceptionally brilliant students.His leading efforts in scouting for benefactors and sponsors are a pointer to quality leadership.
Although a science scholar of Microbiology and Virology extractions, Professor Gbajabiamila is proudly a multidisciplinary don having delivered masterclasses on films, cinema and music as a cross disciplinary scholarship.
Having received his primary and secondary education in London, he proceeded to the University of London got his first degree in Microbiology and remained research student until he obtained his PhD in Virology in 1984.
This superstar was thence released to the four walls of his university as a research fellow before clinching his first appointment with the University of London where he worked for over twenty years.
Professor Gbajabiamila was later headhunted for the role of Associate Director by another London University before joining the services of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Nigeria in 2010.
For his numerous contributions to the world of academia in the last four decades, this fine scholar deserves a rising applause.
Congratulations, Professor Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, Vice Chancellor, Crescent University Abeokuta.