Obafemi Omokungbe, The Rector, Yaba College of Technology, on Friday, March 23, 2018, urged the academic staff union of the college to commence 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. lectures, following the establishment of a Common Room in the college.
Omokungbe gave the advice at the inauguration of a Common Room, established by members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics YABATECH Chapter.
He said that the introduction of the facility was to unite lecturers from various departments and encourage inter-departmental collaboration.
The rector said that lecturers could take off from the common room for their night lectures, which he hoped would be considered by the union.
Omokungbe urged union members in the college to continue to operate as one family.
He said: “I want to thank you, the executives and members, for setting up this common room, and I urge you to put it to good use.
“Don’t let sentiment destroy this place; let us continue to rub minds together here. “When we meet in common room like this, the idea of collaborating together begins to come up, and our job will be much easier.
“In the past, you can hardly see lecturers from Food Technology Department, those in science around; but with this, we can see ourselves and look after ourselves.
“Sometimes, you will not see some people for like three to six months; but with this arrangement, you can keep your relationships and know the whereabouts of your colleagues.
“Now that you have this, and you meet here regularly, it will be easier to know who is not around and we can ask the person.
“I am going to be a regular customer here; I will come here to have refreshment for about 20 to 30 minutes. I think time will permit me.
“If you go to Unilag Staff Club, the vice-chancellors and the professors come together and drink and felicitate with one another.
“So, I don’t know if the union intends to open it to 9.00 p.m., because if you do that, then the 7 to 9 p.m. lecture becomes more interesting; you can take off from here since alcohol will not be sold.
“Lecturers can take off from the common room and go to the lecture room; I hope that will be done soon.”
Omokungbe donated an air conditioner to the common room and promised to allocate a vacant land to the union, if feasible, for its secretariat.
Responding, Nureni Yekini, the Chairman of ASUP in the institution, urged the rector to correct some of the things he had condemned in the past administration of the college.
He said that the union would work out modalities to commence the night classes, as requested by the rector.
Yekini appealed to the management of the college to allocate a vacant land to the union, for the construction of ASUP Secretariat.
He said: “This is the time to correct some of the things you have agitated for in the past; you have agitated for us to have a befitting secretariat in this college.
“We want to appeal to the rector that we have identified a place where we can build our secretariat and before the end of 2018, we want to have our ASUP secretariat erected.
“We want the management to help us; we are not saying they should do everything for us, but we cannot do it alone.”
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