The Council of the University of Ibadan will again kick start the selection process of the new Vice Chancellor (VC) of the institution on Wednesday, November 25th.
The Council had suspended the process initially billed for Wednesday, October 28. The institution was shut down on the faithful day by Union members representing the Non-Teaching staff. They alleged that the process was being skewed to favor one of the aspirants loyal to the outgoing VC, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka.
Prof. Olayinka’s single Five-year tenure ends on November 30.
The Council is reconvening the process in spite of all the petitions submitted by Unions in the institution and some Senior Academia to the Council and the Federal Ministry of Education, alleging that the process leading to the selection of the Six aspirants for the coveted seat of the VC, was marred with irregularities.
The Six aspirants are listed below:
UI VC Race: Aderinto, Mimiko, Salako, Three Others Shortlisted For Final Screening
- Prof. Kayode Adebowale (UI)
- Prof. Olusegun Ademowo (UI)
- Prof. Olatunde Farombi (UI)
- Prof. Abideen Aderinto (UI)
- Prof. Babatunde Salako (UI)
- Prof. Femi Mimiko (OAU)
In a confidential memo obtained by our correspondent in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, arrangements have already been made for the process to continue on Wednesday next week by the Council led by NDE Joshua Waklek.
On Tuesday November 17, the Visitor to the University and Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari during the 72nd founder’s day of the University cautioned the Council and University’s management against manipulating the process to favour any aspirant.
The Raging Controversies
A teaching staff of the institution who preferred anonymity observed that the process had already been manipulated to favor a candidate while jettisoning the petitions raised by stakeholders.
“Going ahead with any meeting now before the expiration of the tenure of outgoing VC on Nov. 30, is akin to also overlooking the text Prof. Ayoola mistakenly sent exposing the surreptitious moves to impose an unpopular Candidate,” he said.
The text sent by Prof. Ezekiel Ayoola who is widely believed to be a stooge of the outgoing VC and was part of the selection committee read:
“We thank God my Dean. We can see that God already answered our prayers. It shall be permanent. Greetings to Adebowale, our wonderful candidate. His papers/ application is second to none. We shall celebrate today. Regards”.
Ayoola had intend sending the message to his Dean of Science, Prof. Ayodele but mistakenly landed in the account of another Prof. Ayodele’s of Ecotourism.
This message which had gone viral within the University community and on social media, was sent on Wednesday morning of Oct. 28, the day the shortlisted Six candidates were to be interviewed by Five-member panel in which he is a member.
The import of the message, which is generating ripples on UI campus, is that the interview will be a walk over for Adebowale.
This is so because they have made the Ministry of Education representative a panel member who was to be an observer as advised by the Registrar.
The panel members are NDE Joshua Waklek (Chairman of Council), Sir Ben Okoronkwo, Dr Ms. Uchena Uba, (Rep Min. of Education), Prof. Ezekiel Ayoola and Prof. Peter Olapegba.
Another angle to the raging controversies at the University is the religious dimension it has now taken.
A terse message being circulated among the Christian WhatsApp Platforms in the institution revealed that the Christian community are insisting that a Christian candidate must emerge as the new VC.
“Let us pray that inspite of their plots and reliance on the power from Abuja, their counsel will be disappointed and destroyed, and a Christian indeed will emerge as VC UI by 30 Nov, against all odds,” the message read in part.
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