Consequently, the dream saw the light and I further served as a Students Representative of the most vibrant Union in Nigeria and most beautiful university in the whole of sub-Saharan West Africa. I have defended, both at home and abroad the greatness of Ife. However, there have been times when even I, had to question the much chorused greatness for several reasons such as the one currently rocking the institution – the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor.
I have listened to the debates across the divide on the on-going crisis with respect to the appointment of Prof. Ayobami Salami as the incoming Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University. Specifically, the Non-Academic staff union (NASU) has been at the fore front of those agitating against this appointment by its continuous protest on campus and the purported injunction it (NASU) claimed it had secured from the court stopping the process. On that, the University claims it has not received any court injunction or restraining order, that what it was served was a notice of application for an injunction, which by itself is not an injunction, I think the responsibility now behoves on NASU to show the world a copy of the alleged injunction that they secured and served the University.
I know personally and very closely about five (5) of the contestants and so do not have any reason to take sides with any of them. As much as I do also have preference and wish one of them becomes the 11th Vice-Chancellor of this citadel of learning, however, I am not part of the selection process and as such, would swallow my prejudice, but even if I was part of them (the selection team) I would definitely allow objectivity to imprison my bias. Now, for the sake of those who do not know, I will state the provisions of the statutory requirements for the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor under the Second Schedule, Section 24(2), Statute 6(1-3) of the Obafemi Awolowo University Law (as amended by degree 11 of 1993). 1. The Vice-Chancellor shall be appointed by the Visitor in accordance with the provisions in the Statute.
2. The Vice-Chancellor shall hold office for the period of five years only on such terms and conditions as may be specified in his letter of appointment.
3. When a vacancy occurs in the post of the Vice-Chancellor, the Council shall: (a) Advertise the vacancy in a reputable journal or a widely read newspaper in Nigeria, specifying: (i) the qualities of the persons who may apply for the post and (ii) the terms and conditions of service applicable to the post, and thereafter draw up a short list of suitable candidates for the post for consideration. (b) Constitute a Search Team consisting of: (i) A member of the Council, who is not a member of the Senate, as Chairman; (ii) Two members of the Senate who are not members of the Council, one of whom shall be a Professor; (iii) Two members of Congregation who are not members of the Council, one of whom shall be a Professor; to identify and nominate for consideration, suitable persons who are not likely to apply for the post on their own volition because they feel that it is not proper to do so. (c) Set up a Joint Council and Senate Selection Board consisting of: (i) The Pro-Chancellor, as Chairman; (ii) Two members of the Council not being members of the Senate; (iii) Two members of the Senate who are Professors, but who are not members of the Search Team.
The Board shall consider the candidates and persons on the short list drawn up under sub-Section
3(aii) of this Statute through an examination of their Curriculum Vitae and interaction with them and recommend to the Council suitable candidates for further consideration. (d) The Council shall select three candidates from among the candidates recommended to it under sub-Section 3(c) of this Statute and may indicate its order of preference stating the reasons thereof and forward the names to the Visitor.
It is worthy of mention, that the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement has reviewed sub-Section 3(d) of the Statute by virtue of the autonomy granted to the Universities. Now the process ends with the Council (who will finally select the best candidate and announce such persons to the general public) and not the Visitor.
For the avoidance of doubt, let us review the process so far and then judge for ourselves if the agitations by the Non-Academic members of staff are objective, reasonable and for the development of the system. Below are the timeline of events:
▪ On the 8th of December, 2015 the University Administration took a memorandum to the 238th Governing Council meeting stating that the position of the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University shall become vacant on June 23, 2016 with the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent, Prof Tale Omole. ▪ The Council also approved advertisements for the position in six National dailies around 15th of December, 2015 with the closing date for the advertisement fixed for 26th January, 2016. ▪ A Special Meeting held on 28th January, 2016 saw the election of Chief Moses Otazi as Chairman of the Search Team. The Senate of the University and Congregation had also elected their representatives of the Search Team. ▪ Council on March 8, 2016 had another Special Meeting where the report of the Search Team was considered. The report of the Team showed that “33 Professors in about 10 Universities were searched; one (1) indicated that he had applied, four (4) promised to apply, while others declined and suggested that the University should look inward for a credible candidate”. It was at this Special Meeting of the Council that applications of all the candidates who eventually applied (11) were opened and six (6) of them shortlisted.
I have extracted the criterion that was employed as stated in the advert, “The person for the post of Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is required to possess a good University education of a recognized University and should be a proven manager of human and material resources. Specifically, the candidate shall be expected to: Be a highly distinguished scholar of the rank of Professor of not less than ten (10) years’ experience on that rank, with ability to provide academic and administrative leadership for the University Community; Be able to command the respect of the national and international academic communities through his/her track records; Possess a clear vision for the development of the University and the realization of its mission; Demonstrate interpersonal and team building skills and possess the ability to strengthen the bridges between staff, students, other members of the University community and the University's stake holders; Exhibit entrepreneurial drive and ability to attract much needed funds and mobilize other resources for the development of the University; Enjoy excellent physical and mental health; and Have demonstrable ability to establish and maintain partnerships with local and international governmental and non-governmental agencies”.
Now for an institution like the Obafemi Awolowo University, that prides itself of highly intellectual academics, students and other staff members alongside very effective staff and students unions, these criteria are not too much. In fact it is foolish for anyone who does not have the potential to attract funds and have not attracted a penny even to his department to think of leading the institution in these times of dwindling revenue from the center and the aggressive rise in prices of goods and services coupled with constant agitations for wage increase. Imagine a Professor who has not made any contribution to knowledge in the last five years; who even scarcely interacts with the students in his department not to mention the congress of OAU students; who have busied himself gathering pecuniary gains by lecturing in over six (6) other universities across the country; who only travels out of this country to visit his wards studying abroad or on vacation; who does not have any international recognition in his chosen career path trying to lead a university such as ours.
In my candid opinion, Council has done its best by adhering to the provisos of the Statute thus far. And if you feel aggrieved, please keep your grievance to yourself. You can’t be more grieved than the contestants, but have you seen any of them challenging the process? Do you have a better knowledge of the process than they do? Why do you want to take Panadol for some else headache?
I am tired of having my future postponed to obviously baseless agitations from NASU, their hypocritical sponsors and blind supporters and I suppose it is same for other students who are concerned about their time here and want to meet up with the age requirement of the labour market.
The fresh students who are supposed to have completed their registration by now have been rendered helpless, doing nothing and open to all manner harm. If their (NASU) demand is the alleged 64 months hazard allowance they are being owed, they should state it clearly and not hide under the guise of any form of imposition of Vice-Chancellor on them. They apparently do not have ANY say in the process of the appointment of the VC, if they want to have a say, they should agitate for a review of the laws of the university and do that through all legal means available not by constituting nuisance on campus. Come to think of it, all through the years have spent in Ife, they have never expressed their grievance in a National daily even when they have a genuine cause. I am surprised that they eventually were able to raise money to agitate for a cause that isn’t theirs to fight on National dailies.
Kudos to the unseen hands.
Comrade Jadora
