The Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Rt. Rev. Prof. Dapo F. Asaju has lauded the role of non-academic staff in the administration of universities, describing them as critical and very vital in running such institutions. He spoke during the second registry lecture held at the school early this week.

He said non-academic staff play such vital roles that no university can operate without them. He thus encouraged those playing such roles in various universities to know that they play important roles and take to take their jobs seriously. He said it was good that the lecture was held at the school, emphasizing that the famous St. Andrews College, Oyo, where the university is currently existing, was the oldest teachers’ college in the country, having been established in 1897.

As chairman of the occasion, which was held at the Folorunso Alakija Law Faculty Auditorium, Professor Asaju thanked the Registrar of the university, Mrs. Adenike Fatogun, for organizing the lecture which was delivered by Dr. Kayode A. Ogunleye. In his paper titled ‘Emotional Intelligence: A Prerequisite for Effective University Administration,’ Ogunleye who is Registrar of BOWEN University, Iwo, Osun state, said Emotional Intelligence is as important as natural intelligence in managing workers.

He said some workers in the university or indeed, any other establishment, need to be motivated by their superior officers to be very productive. He stated that while it was important to stick to the rules in any work environment, superior officers need to also look at the emotion of people they work with in order to bring out the best in them. He encouraged university administrators and lecturers to explore emotional Intelligence in dealing with workers and students. He said university operations have become more competitive such that operators should find new ways of doing things, or they would be swept out of existence. He revealed that the Nigeria now has 153 universities, making for keen competition although he said the country does not have enough going by the number of those seeking admission into universities.

He said Emotional Intelligence was a new way of handling administration. About 17 universities were represented at the occasion where the Ajayi Crowther University chapter of the Association of Nigerian University Professional Administration (ANUPA) was inaugurated.