This interview was conducted and first published by UNILORIN-based blog Lade’s Signatory. The Sub Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Tajudeen Kolawole Ajiboye in an interview with Lade’s Signatory on March 15, 2017 said he never slapped student union (SUG) president Sobowale Lukman Olawale.
Lade’s Signatory reached out to the sub dean to get his own side of the story.
Read excerpts from the interview below…
What do you have to say about the issue on ground now, as regards you slapping the SUG president?
That day, my students were supposed to write an exam CAC 204, (We just got confirmation that the course code is actually CHE 241 and not CAC 204. The mistake was due to an error in the pronunciation of the words. Apologies for any havoc the error has caused) and I was in my office when I saw my students roaming around and had not written the exam they’re supposed to write for 2pm around 4pm.
As someone who has the interest of the students at heart, I left my office to go to the CBT centre to make enquiries about what was going on and the reason why the students had not started writing their exams.
On getting there with the dean of the Faculty of Engineering and some other lecturers in the faculty, we were discussing with the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Professor Ijaiya.
Then Eminent (nickname for the SUG president) was there waiting to be attended to by the secretary of the CBT centre when he was asked to move back by Dr. Abdulraman of the faculty of engineering.
And when Eminent tried explaining to the lecturer that he is the SUG president, the lecturer told him to ‘get out’ and it was at this point that eminent demanded to be respected as the SUG president.
I saw the two of them arguing and went there to see what was going on. On getting there I saw a student arguing with the lecturer and collected his ID card without even knowing he was the SUG president. It was in the process of removing his ID card from his neck that my hand hit his face. I never slapped Him.
It was after this that the SUG president came back to meet me to say I slapped him and I told him I never slapped him.
After this, staffers of the CBT, the DVC Academics and others intervened in the whole situation and everything was settled and the exam continued.
It was when I got home at night, I was confused and surprised when I saw how the whole issue which had been settled earlier had turned out and I started receiving calls from everyone.
What will you do about SUG’s demands (they want him sacked and they want a public apology)?
I owe no one an apology, and I even deserve an apology from them. They have no right to make any demands from me. It is an aberration. I was there on behalf of the students and to represent the interest of the students. If I was in my office, none of this would have happened.
I even called the DVC Academics, Professor Ijaiya, that are they now saying we should not correct any student that is misbehaving.
What will you say to the SUG president when you meet him?
He’s my son and I even called him yesterday already. He should forget whatever happened. It’s part of leadership and heaven will not fall.
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