UI VC Race: Buhari Sets Up Monitoring Mechanism On Selection Process

President Buhari has announced the setting up of a monitoring mechanism on the selection of UI VC.

 

News Rain Nigeria reports that President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, 17th November 2020, declared the setting up of a monitoring mechanism selection process of who will emerge as the 13th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.

 

President Buhari’s decision was conveyed through Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Alhaji Abubakar Rasheed, who delivered the President spoke at the Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan, during the 72nd Foundation Day/ Convocation Ceremony of the Institution.

 

UI VC Race: Buhari Sets Up Monitoring Mechanism On Selection Process

 

President Buhari speaking on the accusation and counter-accusation trailing the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, said the Government has set in motion several mechanisms to monitor the selection process with a view to taking appropriate measures to ensure that the processes are conducted in an open, fair and transparent manner and that all violators are properly sanctioned.

 

He also stressed that the Government will not hesitate to dissolve or suspend all erring governing councils or university managements found to have fallen short of the standard expected of them as leaders of citadels of learning in our country.

 

President Buhari however issued a warning to the governing council and the management of the institution against manipulating the process noted that his administration would not hesitate to dissolve or suspend any council or its leadership found wanting in observing due process.

 

He said Government is determined to continue to fight corruption at all levels, including in our tertiary institutions. It is not useful to talk of adequate funding of education if our universities are mired in crisis, confusion, fraud, and lack of institutional vision.

 

President Buhari through in his message maintained that the Pro-Chancellors, in their dual role as chairpersons of governing councils and chairpersons of the five-person selection committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors, must be prepared to bear full responsibility for the management or mismanagement of the process.”

 

News Rain Nigeria recalls that the University’s Governing Council chairperson, Joshua Waklek, suspended the process of announcing a new VC.

His decision followed a mass protest by the non-academic staff of the university under the umbrella of the Joint Action Committee (JAC).

 

Recalled also that the JAC of Non-Academic Staff of the University, (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities ( SSANU) had on Thursday, 4th November 2020 in a Press Conference responded to the threat of the Senate members of the institution.

 

The 188 Senate members of the institution had on Wednesday 3rd November 2020, in a press conference at the International Conference Center, described the protests of the SSANU and ASSU as unfortunate and uncalled for, thereby called on the disciplinary committee of the institution to meet and discipline the JAC, NASU, and SSANU for their actions which led to the disruption of the council meeting over the selection process of the suitable candidate for the position of the 13th Vice-Chancellor of the University.

 

However, the JAC has made it known through the world press conference that the Union members on 28th October 2020 only staged a peaceful protest against the process of the appointment of the 13th Vice-Chancellor of the institution, just to showed they are displeased over the six contestants that were to be screen by the council.

 

The Union through the SSANU Chairman Comrade Akinwale Akinremi maintained that they were not at any point in time as being assumed by the Senate members of the University, taken the duty or responsibility of appointing the Vice-Chancellor of the University, but offered suggestions on the ways and manners of the process of appointment.