Sunday, 30 May 2021: The immediate past vice-president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke, has emerged as the new president of the union.

Osodeke, a professor of soil science at the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, was elected early Sunday morning during a three-day conference of the union which held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.

He took over from Biodun Ogunyemi, a professor of education at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State.

Other members of the union, who were elected alongside Osodeke, include Chris Piwuna of the University of Jos as vice president; Olusiji Sowande of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), Ogun State, as treasurer while Ade Adejumo, a professor from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, was elected as financial secretary.

Also, a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, Austen Sado, was elected as investment secretary; Adamu Babayo from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, was elected the union’s internal auditor while Stella-Maris Oke from Cross Rivers State University of Science and Technology, was elected as the new welfare secretary.

Ogunyemi will continue to serve in the new executive committee as an ex-officio, apparently to guide the new leadership.

I’m back to the classroom

Meanwhile, Osodeke’s predecessor, Ogunyemi, described his two-term tenure of office as a period of service to the nation.

Speaking on the phone with CEOAFRICA on Sunday, Ogunyemi thanked the union and his colleagues for the support and encouragement.

He said whatever that was achieved during his tenure was a product of team work, and urged the successors to continue the tradition.