…plans nationwide distribution, sales, massive job opportunities for indigent students, Nigerian youth
By Wole Balogun
FUOYE VC,Prof. Fasina
The Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), has started operations of her water factory as another laudable achievement of the Prof. Abayomi Sunday Fasina led administration.
Director of the University’s Directorate of Ventures and investments, Associate Professor Matthew Oluwole Arowolo of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, disclosed the development to the University media team on Thursday.
The FUOYE water project has been in the pipeline since the administration of the former Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Isaac Uzoma Azuzu but couldn’t see the light of the day until the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Fasina, came on board barely three years ago.
Now a dream come true, the FUOYE water is being presented in sachets and bottles and will be distributed nationwide. It will equally provide employment opportunities for both indigent students of the institution who wish to work while studying and other members of the host communities.
VC of the upwardly mobile varsity, Prof. Fasina is behind the prompt realization of the dream as he kept putting the Director of the University’s ventures, Dr. Arowolo, on his toes until success was achieved.
Speaking about the FUOYE water success story, Arowolo told the University media team: “Sometimes last year during one of the management meetings, I was invited and told by the VC that FUOYE was more than ripe enough to have a water factory. He said even some varsities that were established at the same time with us, have their water factories. He mentioned ABUAD and EKSU and other universities who have the facility.
“The VC said he doesn’t celebrate efforts but results. And he gave a one month ultimatum for me to realize the dream of having FUOYE water. So, this made me to start spreading my tentacles all over the place in other to please him. I consulted with the investor who is the producer of Gossy water. This is because of the idea is that the University does not have the money to start the project.
“He was excited about the idea and said that the VC is a also friend of the government. So, we started meetings over the matter and that eventually resulted into the realization of the factory. We have started the production after NAFDAG has visited and approved our product. We have machines now that produces 2000 sachet water in an hour and others. And we are working on the bottle water of two factions, that of 50 cl and the one of 75 cl.
“We want to sell our water at a relatively lower price than what obtains from the other water factories. Presently, we have one of our students, who has a vast experience in the engineering aspect of producing the water. He is working with us. He is doing very well and he has promised that he would assist us to train as many other students as are interested in the work.
“So, we are throwing the door of opportunities open to all our students to leverage on this opportunity. Our VC is a man who doesn’t joke with achieving his dreams and plans. He gave all the full support for the project and gave us a great encouragement. He ensured that the dream was realized. When we didn’t have a generator that has the capacity to match up with our machines, he gave us a very befitting generator and provided it for us in less than 24 hours!. He has also approved the connection of our power to the central generating set. So, our VC is a go-getter who supports every intiative that brings development and progress to the University.
Already, we are making giant strides in FUOYE ventures. We have FUOYE bread now in our Oye-Ekiti and Ikole-Ekiti twin campuses.
We will replicate this water factory in Ikole soon. And we also have FUOYE press which has since been running and running well.
“The VC ensures that he puts everyone working with him on their toes in other to achieve results in an excellent way. We have other achievements, it was our unit that wrote the proposal for FUOYE microfinance bank and the management has set up a committee that is already realizing it. We are also working on agriculture investment and all that. We really want to appreciate the VC for his very great support and admirable performance, ” he said.
Prof. Arowolo
