The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has lost one of its senior academics and administrators, the Dean of its Faculty of Administration, Professor Rafiu Oyesola Salawu, who died suddenly on Sunday.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, said the management received the news with profound shock and a deep sense of loss.
He described the death as a major blow to the university, the Faculty of Administration and the wider academic community, including Salawu’s students, alumni, colleagues and associates.
Olanrewaju said the late professor, despite serving as Dean of the Faculty of Administration for barely a year, made significant contributions to the development of the faculty.
“Within that relatively short period, Professor Salawu demonstrated an uncommon commitment to excellence and institutional development,” Olanrewaju said.
He disclosed that virtually every office in the faculty was fully air-conditioned during Salawu’s tenure, while Closed-Circuit Television security systems and solar-powered energy solutions were also installed.
According to him, the initiatives were part of efforts by the late dean to create a modern, secure and technology-driven environment for teaching, learning and administration.
Olanrewaju said Salawu’s contributions extended beyond infrastructure, noting that he was also committed to student advancement, staff welfare and strengthening relations with the faculty’s alumni.
He described the late professor as an approachable and resourceful administrator whose leadership was driven by a determination to leave the faculty significantly better than he found it.
Reacting to the death, the Vice-Chancellor of OAU, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, expressed condolences to the deceased’s family on behalf of the Governing Council, Senate, management, staff and students of the university.
Bamire described Salawu as a dedicated academic, accomplished administrator and servant-leader whose contributions had left an enduring mark on the institution.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that although Salawu’s tenure as dean was relatively brief, he had already established a legacy of institutional transformation, mentorship and service.
The university management prayed that Almighty God would grant the deceased’s family, colleagues and the entire OAU community the fortitude to bear the loss.
