UI VC Race: Process Suspended Over Crisis

The process for the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan was on Wednesday afternoon suspended.

The suspension is not unconnected from the lockdown of the institution on Wednesday by workers protesting against the alleged plan to impose the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Kayode Adebowale as the next VC.

The union also rejected Prof. Olufemi Mimiko, describing him as anti-workers judging by his tenure as VC, Ondo State University, Akungba-Akoko between 2010 and 2015.

Read Also: UI On Total Locked Over Planned Imposition Of Current DVC As Next VC

They alleged that the outgoing VC has skewed the process in Adebowale’s favour.

This blog had earlier reported that Adebowale alongside five others made the shortlist for the position following a screening by the selection committee on Tuesday.

The university’s NASU Chairman, Mr. Malachy Etim, told NAN that the unions decided to make its grievances known because “the process of selection of vice-chancellor for the university has been very faulty from the beginning.

“They want to impose a candidate on us through this faulty process and we are saying we cannot accept any imposition.

“Yes, we have had an internal crisis before, but the one that triggered today’s protest is the selection process.

“We are holding our congress right away and shall come up with a position in the event that the committee announces the candidate we think it wants to impose on us,’’ he said.

Chairman SSANU, Mr. Wale Akinremi, also told NAN that members of the screening committee elected internally “got there through manipulated and fraudulent electoral process’’.

“We will never work with the candidate they plan to impose on us. We have even locked the varsity’s gate,’’ he said.

“We must restart the process. Prof. Idowu Olayinka, the sitting vice-chancellor, must hand over to an acting vice-chancellor,’’ he stressed.

Five of the six finalists are professors of the University of Ibadan, while one is from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

The six finalists were shortlisted after each of the 18 candidates made 15 minutes presentation before the screening committee comprising the entire Council members of the institution on Tuesday.