Gbenro Adesina
The Federal Government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressive Congress (APC), has again suspended indefinitely the process of the appointment of the 13th Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), four months to the expiration of the tenure of the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebola Babatunde Ekanola.
One of the implications of this development is that a new governing Council will have to conclude the process, since the tenure of the current Governing Council elapses in the next three months.
It was reliably gathered that the institution’s Council meeting officially slated to hold on Monday February 8, 2021, but postponed to Tuesday February 9, 2021, to deliberate on the process for the conclusion of the appointment of the institution’s VC, was cancelled by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Information revealed that the Federal Ministry of Education, through the National Universities Commission (NUC) abruptly cancelled the meeting.
A letter from the Ministry of Education, dated 8th February, 2021, and titled, “Re: Further Update on the Impasse in the Selection of a New Vice Chancellor for the University of Ibadan – Notice of Special Meeting of the Governing Council of the University”, signed by Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono, the Permanent Secretary of Education Ministry for the Minister, Adamu Adamu, emphatically instructed the National University Commission (NUC) to ensure that the scheduled meeting is not held.
The letter with reference number FME/PS/606/C.1/111/172, addressed to the NUC Executive Secretary reads, “I write with reference to your letter No. NUC/ES/334/Vol.125/200 dated 8th Februray, 2021, on the above subject and to convey the Honourable Minister’s approval for the Governing Council and Management of the University of Ibadan to suspend at once, any further meetings of the Governing Council pending further communication from the Ministry”.
It added, “You are to take necessary action to ensure immediate compliance with the Honourable Minister’s directives by the University. Please, accept the assurances of esteemed regards”.
PrimeStarNews gathered that the Federal Government is perfecting plans to impose a VC on the institution.
According to information gathered, all the stakeholders including the Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Nde Joshua Mutka Waklek, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Education, who is statutorily a member of the Council, had arrived in Ibadan on Monday February 8, 2021.
It is worth pointing out that the representative of the Federal Ministry of Education, statutorily a member of the Council, whose office is in the same building with both the Minister and the Permanent Secretary arrived in Ibadan on Monday February 8, 2021 for the meeting.
The question on the lips of the major stakeholders in the institution is: why did the news of indefinite postponement of the Council not announced until the 13th hour, with the associated unnecessary wastage of public funds from travels, accommodation and related sundry expenses by members of Council from outside Ibadan?
Stakeholders further asked why did the NUC have to write to the Minister of Education on the Appointment of a Vice-Chancellor yesterday, 8th February and the purported reply came the same day and implementation of same was communicated to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of UI immediately.
It was concluded that such a supersonic speed of action in a bureaucratic set up that is at best of times grossly ineffective and inefficient.
It would be recalled that the process for appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the University started on May 18, 2020, with the approval of the council seeking for applications from qualified candidates.
The deadline for the submission of applications was July 9, 2020, after which other processes followed.
However, based on various reasons and allegations about the transparency of the process cum the interference of the Federal Ministry of Education, which is said to be completely at variance with the extant laws under the Autonomy of Federal Universities, the process was scuttled.
Invariably, an Acting Vice-Chancellor emerged by election on the floor of the Senate of the University.
This was the first time ever in the 72-year history of the institution that an Acting Vice-Chancellor had to emerge by election at the University of Ibadan.
The appointment was subsequently approved by the Council in the evening of 30th November 2020, a few hours before the expiration of the tenure of the then outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abel Idowu Olayinka.
At the time of filing this report, major stakeholders said that they had crossed their fingers, expecting what will play out.
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