Immediate Past Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Prof. Dapo Asaju has returned to the Lagos State University, Ojo as a lecturer in the Department of Religion and Peace Studies.
Asaju was a lecturer in the university before he took up appointments with the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.
He was provost of the Crowther Graduate School of Theology and from there was appointment VC of ACU, which is the mission’s university. He served for five years in ACU when his tenure came to an end on October 2, 2020.
Asaju had turned down the offer to serve for a second term in ACU by the authorities of the Church of Nigeria when they saw the impact he made in the university.
He had insisted that the church should abide by the laid down rules of the university; which does not give room for a second term in office.
In an interview he granted Advent Cable Network Nigeria, Asaju said the ambition for a second term by public office holders is one of the things destroying the country.
He said he had to turn down the offer for a second term because he was determined to enforce the need to respect principles
He words, “They (university management) approached me for a second term and I told them it will never happen. We must teach Nigerians how to respect principles. You don’t tamper with rules and regulations because somebody is doing well. No man is indispensable.
“There are people who are better than Dapo Asaju who will come to do this work and will do it better. It is soldiers go, soldiers come, barrack remains.
“When Vice-Chancellors leave office, they go back to their departments to teach. I have been a professor of Theology for about 20 years. I train Theologians and it is also part of the service to the kingdom.
“When I finish, I will go back to my department at Lagos State University where I have been for 37 years. My office is being repaired right now. I will resume my teaching job under my head of department; you come low again. That is discipline.
“What do you want to do in a second term that you cannot do in five years? Is it not second term that is killing this country? People who fail in their first term and foisted themselves upon the people for another term. Acrimony for second term is so terrible.”
Asaju has since returned back to the classroom as a lecturer in keeping to his promise.
One Jerrysam Olaniyi, perhaps one of his students or former student, had posted on his Facebook wall on October 7, how Prof. Asaju returned to LASU after serving as Vice-Chancellor in ACU.
He also talked about how he was well received by the students.
He wrote, “Do you know him? Professor Dapo ASAJU is the immediate Past Vice-Chancellor Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria. The erudite Professor is back at to his original base – Lagos State University – now Africa Centre Excellence.
“The students of the Department of Religion and Peace Studies, Faculty of Arts of the beautiful academic Institution happily received him on Tuesday, 6th October 2020, when he took the class “STUDIES IN THE EPISTLE – CRS 405” for the first time after his resumption.
Prof Asaju, a Bishop Theologian in the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion had completed his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor, ACU, on Friday, 2nd October 2020
The students according to the Facebook post could not hide their joy and excitement at the resumption of the erudite professor
Olaniyi in the post described Asaju as “Professor of professors, an outstanding achiever, a great Mentor, Vice-Chancellor of Vice-Chancellors, humility personified and teacher of teachers.”
It would be recalled that Prof. Asaju was former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the Lagos State University. He had also once relinquished his position as General Overseer of Evangelical Church of Yahweh to go back to the Anglican Communion as an ordinand from where he rose to become a Bishop Theologian.