SHE was there, on her seat, a laptop to her right, an ipad to her left and a mobile phone to her left ear, that early morning. As she spoke, her fingers moved about swiftly on the ipad. As she placed the mobile phone on her massive table after a conversation, another call came through. But this time, she took one look at the phone, shifted her gaze to the unexpected visitor in her office and then offered a seat with a smile. Although, there had been no previous appointment, the only question she asked was 'What can I do for you''From all indications, bespectacled Prof. Sidi Osho, the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) is an unusual academic. Sporting a blue gown laced with white patches under a deep blue coat, her eyes glittered as the barrage of questions, centred around her experiences and responsibilities at ABUAD, rolled over to her side of the table.'I was quite surprised that our founder, Aare Afe Babalola, who had mainly male partners in his chambers, could pick a female to be the pioneer Vice Chancellor of ABUAD,' she confessed. 'He also picked a female Registrar. During my conversation with him, after he had informed me of his decision, he told me that his experiences as Pro Chancellor of the University of Lagos had revealed the inherent weaknesses in public universities, as a result of which he decided to establish a university that would offer uninterrupted, quality tertiary education and promote research. A university that will become a model in this country and beyond.'That was the mandate given to Osho on assumption of office. Luckily for her, the founder has pursued the development of the institution with a great passion. For a university founded only in 2009, the infrastructure on the ground have been described as 'unbelievable.' Osho said that even the National Universities Commission (NUC) had commended the institution over its 'unparalleled' level of development in the spate of only three years.That spate of development, Osho stated, has also been matched by a roll call of quality of academic staff. She said the individuals employed to teach were those 'who demonstrated commitment to teaching. Besides, she revealed that the institution holds teaching methodology clinics regularly, where experts are invited to review strategies and unravel modern techniques as they unfold.Osho also spoke on what she described as 'ABUAD's unique provisions' for its students. Hear her: 'Our students have no reason not to do well here. We have made adequate arrangements for everything: the tools to work with, entrepreneurial skill acquisition templates and good accommodation facilities. We've got 2012 journals in our library, we have an efficient Internet connection to enable them carry our their research.'Our world class lecturers, who have been carefully picked, they are devoted to their duties and ever ready to help the students. Our students learn the French and Chinese languages as part of their programmes. They have their farms too. We have a bakery and good sports' facilities. And our students are well monitored. We have been described as the fastest growing private university in this country. We have been winning laurels.'She continued: 'Even as the vice chancellor, I teach five courses. My phone numbers are on our website and my students can easily reach me. I do get my feedbacks from them regularly. My students are the most caring in the world. They are concerned about our founder and the university's facilities. They worry about me and their lecturers. They quickly reprimand any student, who tries to misbehave. We have a good culture here and I am proud of my students.'Osho also stated that in promoting any academic staff, the various assessments of the students are taken into consideration. 'Our students assess their lecturers and this counts a lot,' she noted. On what the students complain about, Osho paused for a moment, drew in a long breath and said, 'eerrr, they have said they want more social events. They sometimes complain about the intensity of their academic programmes and that we keep them too busy. They would like to see more avenues to wind down.'Omoniyi Ogunniyi, a 200 level Law student told The Guardian that she has so far been impressed by the way her lecturers have handled her respective courses. She also confirmed that the institution's conducive and safe environment had been a stimulating factor.'I enjoy my different classes and the way the lecturers handle various topics,' she said. 'Students interact well with lecturers here.' On what crossed her mind when she first arrived at the university, Omoniyi said she was pleasantly surprised when she saw all the facilities in the institution. 'You just have to be serious here, the schedule of work does not give room for laziness. You are constantly on your toes.' On security, she affirmed, 'I feel safe here. Guys are not allowed into our hostel and we don't go to theirs. We have a common room where we interact and the security here is good.'Toyin Orisalade, a 200 level Law student could also not believe her eyes when she arrived at the university. 'My father is a lawyer and a fan of Chief Afe Babalola, so he encouraged me to come here and study Law. He told me that Chief Babalola is never known for half measures. He was confident that reading Law here will be worth it.'On the lecturers, she said: 'Ooh, they been very good. They have been supportive too and are approachable.' On how she copes with the academic requirements, Orisalade admitted 'it has not been easy.' Her words, 'I was kind of lazy with reading, but when I got here, I had to change. There were so many books to read up and I was constantly kept on my toes.'Gbenga Ogundele, a 300 level Law student said Babalola was the motivating factor that persuaded him to opt for the university. 'I was studying English at the University of Ado Ekiti (UNAD) when the opportunity to come here and study Law came. I embraced it because of the founder's reputation. I felt that I would be doing myself a lot of good if I could be trained by him.'However, Ogundele said he was a bit disappointed that the founder himself was not teaching any course. 'I was hoping that he would also teach us personally, but that is not happening. However, I am impressed by the way our lecturers have been handling us.
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