UI VC Appointment: FG Asks Governing Council To Appoint Neutral Person

Federal Government has ordered the governing Council to appoint a neutral person as UI VC.

News Rain Nigeria reports that the Federal Government in its bids to avoid another unforeseen circumstance that may lead to crisis, which is possible to affect the ongoing selection process of the University of Ibadan Vice-Chancellor has ordered the Senate of the Institution as a matter of urgency to convene a special meeting on how to select one of its members to serve in acting capacity as a Vice-Chancellor.

FG Asks Governing Council To Appoint Neutral Person

The directive which was revealed through the National Universities Commission NUC specified that the Senate members should consider a neutral person for the acting role of the Vice-Chancellor to replace the outgoing Vice-Chancellor.

According to the letter to the university through its Pro-chancellor, which was signed by Dr. Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf, Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics) on behalf of the Executive Secretary, NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, stated that the tenure of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor expires on Monday 30th November 2020, it is pertinent for the Governing Council to meet in the afternoon of Monday 30 November 2020, to consider and approve the appointment of the Senate nominee as acting Vice-Chancellor,” the letter by NUC Executive Secretary, Abubakar Rasheed dated Friday, November 27, 2020, read.

“You will please recall the directives of the Honourable Minister of Education on the resolution of the impasse in the process for the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor for the University of Ibadan.

“I write at the behest of the Executive Secretary to convey the Honourable Minister  further directive on necessary steps to resolve the impasse and restore peace and harmony necessary for the discharge of the University’s core mandate:

“The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan is hereby directed to shift its meeting earlier scheduled for 10. a.m. on Monday 30th November 2020 to discuss the issue of appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor, to later in the afternoon on the same day

“The University Senate should convene a special meeting for the purpose of selecting one of its members who is not a candidate in the on-going process for the selection of a new Vice-Chancellor, for recommendation to the Governing Council for appointment as acting Vice-Chancellor for a period of ‘not more than six months as stipulated in section 3(13) and (14 ) of the Universities (Miscellaneous provisions: (Amendment:) Act, 2002.

“In view of the fact that the tenure of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor expires on Monday 30th November 2020, It is pertinent for the Governing Council to meet in the afternoon of Monday 30 November 2020 to consider and approve the appointment of the Senate nominee as acting Vice-Chancellor in order to avoid a vacuum in the administration of the University.

” Following the appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor, the out-going Vice-Chancellor should hand-over to the acting Vice-Chancellor possibly on Monday 30 November 2020 or latest by Tuesday 1st of December, 2020.

“The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council are also directed to attend a meeting with the Honourable Minister of Education in his office on Wednesday 2nd December 2020 at 11 a.m. to brief the Honourable Minister on developments following the Ministerial directives on the resolution of the impasse.

“Please accept assurances of Executive Secretary’s highest regards and consideration.”

News Rain Nigeria however recall that the current Vice-Chancellor, Abel Idowu Olayinka’s tenure expires on Monday, November 30th, but ahead of his tenure expiration, some members of the Governing Council had been plotting to replace him.

The situation got heightened recently when in the middle of a meeting at the conference center of the institution, not less down 369 members of the governing council walked out of the meeting.