Kayode Olanrewaju and Sola Adeyemo 
PROTEST
Following last week’s criticism and protest trailing the process of selecting a new Vice-Chancellor for the University of Ibadan (UI), over alleged imposition of a candidate by the nonacademic staff unions (SSANU and NASU) chapters of the university, the process has been suspended by the Governing Council
- SSANU: Council, Olayinka to hand over to acting VC
- ASUU: We’re not part of protest
- NASU: Union’ll resist imposition of candidate
There is confusion and palpable apprehension at the Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan (UI), over the selection and appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor for the 72-yearold ivory tower. This is coming barely one month to the emergence and inauguration of the 13th substantive Vice-Chancellor, who will take over from the incumbent Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, as of the Vice-Chancellor of the university. Following the expiration of the fiveyear single term of Prof. Olayinka in December, this year, the university authorities had few months ago, in an advertorial in some national dailies, called for applications from interested scholars to jostle for the post. No fewer than 17 candidates within and outside the university had applied for the plump job to become the new Vice-Chancellor of the institution. Some of the candidates are a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Adeyinka Abideen Aderinto; former Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Remi-Raji; former Director, Post Graduate School and the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kayode Adebowale; immediate past Provost of College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Prof. Bunmi Olaopa; and former UCH CMD, Prof. Temitope Alonge.
Others are Prof. Olatunde Kalilu, Prof. Clement Olusegun, Prof. Olaniran Kolawole, Prof. Raheem Lawal, Prof. Oladele Layiwola, Prof. Olusegun Ademowo, Prof. Temitope Alonge, Prof. Akeem Fawehinmi, Prof. Babatunde Lateef Adeleke, Prof. Kolapo Hamzat, Prof. Femi Mimiko (former Vice-Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, now at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU); Prof. Olatunde Farombi and Prof. Babatunde Salako.
Meanwhile, earlier in the selection process, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) chapters of the institution had claimed that they would be neutral and watch how the events would unfold as they had no preferred candidate among the 17 aspiring candidates.
But, trouble began following alleged indications by some of the staff unions that the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olayinka was angling in his desperation to ensure that his preferred candidate emerged as the next Vice-Chancellor.
To the unions, this would not be allowed to sail through as they insisted that merit is about to be sacrificed on the altar of competence.
However, in the fresh face-off with the university authorities, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), which are in the centre of the uproar, alleged that the outgoing Vice-Chancellor has been manipulating the Council to ensure that Prof. Kayode Adebowale succeeds him at all cost and vowed to resist such scheming.
Sequel to the announcement of the six shortlisted candidates in which Prof. Adebowale’s name featured prominently, some individuals and staff unions in the university rose in anger and carpeted the processes leading to the unveiling of the list. They, however, protested and kicked against the planned imposition of Prof. Adebowale, the alleged preferred candidate of the outgoing Vice-Chancellor.
The workers, who had blocked all entry and exit gates into the institution and car ried placards with various inscriptions such as “Impose Adebowale and shut down UI for six years”; “We shall never work with Alatise again”, among others, were also singing “We no go gree oo, we no go gree, imposition we no go gree.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of university’s chapter of the Non-Academic Staff Union, Mr. Malachy Etim, had reportedly said during the protest that the unions decided to make their grievances known because “the process of selection of Vice-Chancellor for the university has been very faulty from the beginning.”
“They want to impose a candidate on us through this faulty process and we are saying we won’t accept any imposition. Yes, we have had an internal crisis before, but the one that triggered today’s protest is the selection process,” he said.
The protest by the unions was said to have stalled the announcement of the new Vice-Chancellor for university on Wednesday as it compelled the university authorities to suspend further announcement of the new vicechancellor. Members of NASU and their SSANU counterpart were said to have stormed the Council Chambers where the final selection would have been made to disrupt the proceedings.
They barricaded the university gate in protest against perceived plan by the university Council to impose an “unpopular candidate” as vice-chancellor of the premier university. According to the SSANU Chairman, Mr. Wale Akinremi, following the protest, the Pro-Chancellor and Council Chairman addressed the unions and ordered the immediate suspension of the selection process. “The Council chairman will be meeting with the unions on Friday to chart a way forward,” he said, even as one of the shortlisted candidates also confirmed to New Telegraph that the selection process had been suspended.
The five-man selection panel, led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Dr. Nde Joshua Waklek, which shortlisted six of the 17 candidates in the race, last week, was supposed to have announced a candidate out of six shortlisted.
The panel also comprised two external representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, Sir Ben Okoronkwo and Dr. Uchena Uba, and two elected representatives of the Senate in the screening committee, who are Prof. Ezekiel Ayoola and Prof. Peter Olapegba.
The shortlisted professors, who were said to have made 15 minutes presentation each at the Council screening on Tuesday are Prof. Kayode Adebowale, Prof. Olusegun Ademowo and Prof. Ebenezer Farombi, Prof. Abideen Aderinto, Prof. Babatunde Salako and Prof. Femi Mimiko from Obafemi Awolowo University.
The SSANU Chairman, however, frowned at the composition of the screening committee, saying the members elected internally got there through manipulated and fraudulent electoral process. Akinremi pointed out: “We will never work with the candidate they plan to impose on us.
We have even locked the university’s gate. We must restart the process. Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the outgoing vice-chancellor, must hand over to an acting vice-chancellor.”
Meanwhile, whoever emerged the 13th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university to take over from Prof. Olayinka, who would have completed his five-year single term as the 12th Vice-Chancellor of the premier university on December 1, 2020, is expected to be named this month (November).
But, the university branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), had since distance its members from the protest, saying: “We condemned in strong terms the disruption of the meeting of the Governing Council of the University of Ibadan that was convened to conclude the selection of the next vice-chancellor of the university.”
ASUU, in a Special Bulletin released on Saturday, noted: “Having observed that a protest was carried out on Wednesday, October 28, around the Senate and Council Chambers of the university by members of NASU and SSANU in the University of Ibadan.
The executives of the branch met on Friday, October 30, deliberated on the incidence and resolved as follow: “That members of ASUU-UI were not part of the protest, contrary to reports in some press outlets; and that the practice of protesters assaulting, attempt to assault or outright molestation of members of ASUU-UI branch, shall henceforth be vehemently resisted.”
The union in the bulletin signed by its Chairman, Ayoola Akinwole and Secretary, Chris Omoregie respectively, therefore, reaffirmed its earlier appeal to the Governing Council to ensure a level playing ground in the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor of the university in order to protect the sanctity of the university autonomy.
But, the aggrieved workers’ unions (SSANU and NASU) and some members of the university community did not only strongly condemned and challenged the list, they criticised and kicked against the manoeuvering by the outgoing Vice-Chancellor to impose one of the candidates on the institution as the next helmsman.
The 12 Vice-Chancellors that administered the affairs of the university since its inception are Prof. Kenneth Onwuka Dike, Prof. Thomas Adeoye Lambo, Prof. H. Oritsejolomi-Thomas, Prof. Tekena N. Tamuno, Prof. Samson O. Olayide, Prof. L. Ayo Banjo, Prof. Alien B.O.O. Oyediran, Prof. Omoniyi O. Adewoye, Prof. Ayodele O. Falase, Prof. A.O. Bamiro, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, and Prof Abel Idowu Olayinka.
Prior to this, a socio-political group of prominent Ibadan people, under the aegis of The Ibadan Pillars, had been pushing for the appointment of an Ibadan Professor (indigene) as the 13th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the premier university, even as they insisted that non-appointment of the indigene of the ancient city will be vehemently opposed.
The group in its growing agitation recalled that since the establishment of the university in 1948, as University College, before it transformed to University of Ibadan no indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State capital has occupied the position in the institution.
Towards this end, the Ibadan Pillars insisted and called on the Federal Government that the new Vice-Chancellor, who will assume the post as the 13th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university should be an indigene of Ibadan, the university’s host community.
According to the group, appointment of an Ibadan Professor as the Vice-Chancellor of the institution in December will go a long way in compensating Ibadanland and its people that donated the 2,550 acres of land for the establishment of the University College, which is today the University of Ibadan.
The President of the group, Asiwaju Nurudeen Akinade, recalled that the then Olubadan of Ibadan and his Chiefs-In-Council gave out the parcel of land for the siting of the university, under a nominal rent equivalent of N2,000 a year as lease for 999 years. Akinade, as well as the Mogajis and Chiefs of Ibadanland regretted that since the establishment of the university, which has produced 12 Vice-Chancellors since 1948, none of them had been an Ibadan indigene.
The group, which claimed to be a critical stakeholder in the affairs of the university, therefore, is insisting that among all the candidates, an indigene of Ibadanland, the “bird that laid the golden egg,” must emerge the next Vice-Chancellor of the university.
The Ibadan Pillars, which is bent that the 13th Vice-Chancellor must be an indigene of Ibadan, said that the dust raised by this deliberate action has thrown up concerns among the people of the ancient city.
T he group had said: “At present, Ibadanland is made up of five local government areas within the municipality of the capital city and six sub-urban/rural local government areas, as well as, 14 additional local council development areas (LCDA).
“Ibadan as the host community of the university was, and is still accommodating and peaceful. There has never been report of any form of scuffles or crisis between Ibadan, the host community and the University of Ibadan since its establishment over seven decades ago. “The University of Ibadan was established as a College of the University of London in 1948 and enjoyed a very large and expansive land donated by the then Kabiyesi Olubadan, the Chiefs and the people of the ancient city.
“With all these sacrifices, it is disturbing and highly illogical that an Ibadan indigene has not been allowed to be the Vice-Chancellor of the university. Although, the Vice- Chancellor position is not supposed to be appointed for nativity sake, but some people have long played decision makers on Ibadan soil in hatred for anything Ibadan.”
While reiterating that they will not compromise their demand and call, the group therefore said that “having studied the situation critically, our organisation which comprises several prominent and patriotic sons and daughters of Ibadanland both at home and in the Diaspora, and the greater percentage of good people of Ibadan Land, have decided not to accept any non- Ibadan indigene as the next Vice- Chancellor of the ivory tower.”
“This, however, will be without sacrificing merit. Currently, there are four competent, respected, highly reserved and renowned scholars/academics, who have applied for this exalted position,” they added.
The Ibadan group are now routing for any of the four scholars from Ibadan – Prof. Remi Raji Oyelade (former Dean, Faculty of Arts); Prof. Kayode Adebowale (current DVC, Admin); Prof. Emiola Olapade- Olaopa (College of Medicine) and Prof. Kolapo Hamzat (Neurological Physiotherapy Department) – in the race.
“We believe sincerely that any of these scholars is good enough to be the Vice-Chancellor of University of Ibadan, as emergence of any other candidate apart from any of these four will not be acceptable to the group and the entire host city,” the group insisted. Piqued by the agitation, a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the university, who prefers not to be named, while speaking with New Telegraph, described the position of the Ibadan group “as laughable.”
The don said: “If they are insisting on producing the next Vice- Chancellor, are they trying to say that all the past Vice-Chancellors including the incumbent were appointed based on political consideration and not on merit? “Do they (The Pillars) want the position of University of Ibadan Vice-Chancellor to become political without merit?
The tradition cannot be compromised. The best must emerge. If any of their candidates is qualified, so be it. But, for them to say that they will not accept any candidatethatemergeswhoisnotof Ibadan origin is to me, a misnomer.” Meanwhile, the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State is also insisting that the axis is the right section of the state to produce the next Vice-Chancellor for the university. Some loyalists of the axis, which faulted the position of The Ibadan Pillars is routing for Prof. Layiwola from the Oke Ogun area.
The axis, led by Dr. Lateef Adeleke, insisted that must Ibadan people take everything that belongs to the state, arguing that “if the Ibadan people are promoting their own, we in Oke-Ogun should also promote our own.” Adeleke further queried: “The question is has any Oke-Ogun man ever been Governor of Oyo State? Are the Ibadan people ready to concede and must they always take everything in the state? Oke-Ogun is not an inferior stakeholder in the Oyo State project?”
