LASPOTECH appoints new Rector

… Unions of the institution give approval

The Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, has announced the appointment of Mr Samuel Oluyinka Sogunro as the institution’s 10th Rector.

The institution’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Public Relations, Mr Olanrewaju Kuye made this known. A statement dated, June 26th, noted that the appointment followed the expiration of the tenure of the immediate past Rector, Mr Abdulazeez Lawal, on June 1. Before his appointment, Sogunro was the Deputy Rector, Administration.

The statement said Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State approved Sogunro’s appointment, with effect from June 1. Aged 54, Sogunro was born on March 17, 1961 and hails from Lagos Island Local Government of Lagos State. He obtained his West African School Certificate (WASC) in 1980, Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1983, Bachelor of Science (Education) in Mathematics in 1987 and a Master of Science degree in Statistics in 1996.

According to the statement, Songunro’s career as an academic staff of the Lagos State Polytechnic started in January 1990 as Lecturer III in the Department of Mathematics. He was promoted Lecturer II (October 1, 1993); Lecturer I (October 1, 1996); Senior Lecturer (October 1, 1999); Principal Lecturer (October 1, 2005). He rose to the rank of a Chief Lecturer in the Mathematics Department effective August 11, 2010. Songunro served as the Director of Academic Planning in the Polytechnic from Dec. 1, 2010 to April 25, 2013. He was appointed Deputy Rector in charge of Administration effective April 26, 2013.

The new rector had also held several managerial and administrative positions in the Polytechnic, which ranged from Coordinator, Mathematics, School of Part-Time Studies, Ag. Director, School of Part-Time Studies.

Meanwhile, three staff unions of the institutions; the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) who had earlier vowed to resist any effort by the state government to appoint an outsider as the rector has accepted the outcome

Mr Thomas Awoyemi, the Chairman of SSANIP, said: “It is good news. We just need to appreciate the state government for giving us what we want that settles it. “As long as the person that was appointed is an internal candidate that is how I and my union want it.

“He has been on ground for many years; in other words, whoever is to be appointed would have known the problems before assumption of duty.

“It will be easier tackling the issues and lead the staff. Even those of us who are to be led would have known the antecedents and character of such a person. “We expect him to provide the best leadership — meeting the requests of staff within the available resources, being transparent, and also making judicious use of resources.”

The Chairman, of NASU, Mr Akinawon Fasasi, urged the rector to improve the institution’s internally generated revenue, noting that the institution was experiencing challenges in the area of finance. “We urgently need to augment the government’s subvention for the payment of our salaries. “He will have to re-energise the internally generated revenue sources so that we will be able to sustain the payment of salaries.”

“He should see to the development of staff in terms of training and research because the strength of any organisation is the capacity of its human resources.”

Mr Steven Adesemoye, a lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, advised the rector to bring all stakeholders together for the development of the school. He said: “I want to also use this medium to call other candidates who lost to him to join hands for a better institution. “He should be watchful of fifth columnists because people will come and tell him stories …he should double-check.”