Dr. Olu Atunramu, an alumnus of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) has emerged the representative of Alumni in the governing council for the next 4 years.
He emerged winner in a keenly contested election that pitted him against the outgoing representative, Prof Jonathan Onyekwelu. Olu Atunramu polled 209 votes as against Jonathan’s 173.
The election was presided over by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Biyi Daramola and the Registrar Mr. Adeyinka Arifalo.
The Vice Chancellor used the occasion of the 2017 convocation meeting to commend the effort of an old student of the university, Engr. Tunji Light Ariyomo for his contributions and strategic interventions that brought about the approvals for the institution’s medical college.
Daramola also commended the partnership between the institution and the host community and the leadership roles of the Deji of Akure, Oba Ogunlade Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo and the leader of Afenifere Chief Reuben Fashoranti in resolving issues that stalled the project.
He revealed to the gathering that the Akure community has helped in securing the certificate of occupancy for the permanent site of the medical school and that it was in the best interest of the university to have both the medical school and the teaching hospital together in a single location.
Contributors at the 2017 Convocation Meeting urged Daramola to hasten actions on construction activities at the permanent site contending that the medical school would be his biggest legacy yet as Vice Chancellor.
Under Daramola, FUTA, in fulfilment of the vision of its founding fathers secured the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to establish a School of Health and Health Technology which was in tandem with its original statutes. The university immediately commenced the Departments of Anatomy and Physiology having previously established the Departments of Biochemistry and that of Microbiology. The first set of students will soon be moving to 300 levels while the basic medical sciences are expected to ultimately end up in core medical courses and a teaching hospital with the goal that they would have the imprimatur of excellence embellished with advanced technology which FUTA is known for.
The 2017 Convocation Meeting was held at the sprawling state-of-the-art 3,000 capacity auditorium built and commissioned by Daramola.