The expiration of the terms of the venerable academic, Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede would only be accepted with austere meditation. This follows the maxim 'everything that has a beginning must have an end'. The Professor of Islamic Studies have been able to put the University of Ilorin on the world map with activities such as international conferences, the West African University Games (WAUG), etc., which soared the rankings of the university by local and international bodies. The National University Commission recently graded the state of the facilities of the University of Ilorin as the best in Nigeria! What a feat for the University. These wonderful and breathtaking achievements that include staff development programmes, infrastructural and human development initiatives and students activism were pioneered by Mr. Former Chairman of the AVCNU, while a crop of them were inherited from his predecessors which he sustained with a dint of hard work. Indeed Oloyede is a true son of the soil as he has managed to build the historic tower both at the physical, prestige and academic excellence planes.

The Vice Chancellors' appointment as the Governor of the varsity was in itself a feat which resulted from the council's decision in 2007. Hence, he can be likened to a fresh Law, Agriculture or Engineering student who having passed through the school of hard knocks, (UME, Post UME and other screenings) is admitted to study the course he applied for (the Vice Chancellor). He, after being through several breathtaking courses is now being awarded with laurels and medals. He had first broken the jinx by graduating with a 1st Class in a department that had never produced any! Indeed Oloyede's Administration is a success.

This success cannot be accorded to Mr. VC alone, just like any flaws ever noted in his management cannot be solely credited to him. I was at the University Auditorium when the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies organized her 2nd International Biennial Conference on Democratization in Africa. The Prof. of Islamic Studies gave an opening speech titled; “No Smoke Without Fire” in which he elucidated that the poor man on the street is not being molested by the politicians in the luxurious vehicles, but rather by a poor man like him (a Police or Army) who has been attached to the politician as an orderly.

This goes on to specify that before Mr. Vice Chancellor's convocation (expiration of term) on the 15th October, 2012, he should ensure he brings sanity into the much criticised unit of the university, the security unit! This unit that no doubt was put in place to protect the University community has rather become an instrument of intimidation as the barely trained crop of security men take advantage of their uniforms to instil fear in the minds of the students. In fact, they have grossly abused the university students by scaring them off their feet in the name of being dealt with via suspension, expulsion and rustication. Cases abound to justify the brazen violation of students' rights, hasty decisions and inhumane treatment of visitors and more importantly the students of the university. The immediate past Students' Union President, Surajudeen Musa also capitalised on this rain of persecution and tyranny of the Security agents to hand a crushing defeat to a student sport journalists who had it out with him during the WAUG. The student was made to weave a story round himself which the youngster ignorantly acceded to in order to save his head from the rustication threat. Taxi drivers always have their days with the students as a mere threat of summoning the security would make a student part with his balance. Cases are not very different at the motion ground as Photographers routinely threaten freshers with the forces and making the new men part with their initial deposit and the promised photographs.

How best can one describe this preposterous evidence?

A young man walked into the Student Affairs' Unit of the university, looked at the reception and found a man in what looked like a security livery. He gently extends his greeting, then requested to see an administrative officer.

Visitor: Good Morning Sir, Please I am here to see Mr. Jimoh.

Security: (Angrily) I don't know you! He snarled.

Visitor: (Astonished!) I am here to see Mr. Jimoh and not you sir.

A third party there signified that the man being addressed did not hang an Identity Card on his neck.

Visitor: (Stupefied) I am not a student of this Institution and I have a means of identifying myself if you care to know? Besides, I am here on personal ground and you need only to have gently requested for my ID.

Security: (Furiously) Don't insult me otherwise I will deal with you.

Of course the person in question had ceased to be a student of the University, hid his Identity Card because it has already expired 2 months earlier. And he could not go on to wear an expired ID.

This kind of insult is what an average person undergoes at the hand of the Security Personnel of the university.

The Oloyede's administration should address these calamitous alterations of assignments by these officers by organizing for them, a training workshop of human relation and rights of others, especially students. This approach will build a moral stamina of the students to associate and relate with others.  It is my solid belief that Oloyede has done a good job, but his regrets will be minimal if he would lessen the sheer mulishness of the security of the university. And he would indeed have ended well as a man of admirable largesse.

BELLO, Lateef Adekunle is an Ilorin-based freelance writer and book publisher. He can be reached on 08022953087 and akblesings@gmail.com.