UI Crisis Deepens As 4 Governing Council Members Stage Walk-out Over VC Selection

Crisis rocking University of Ibadan took a new turn on wednesday as four members of the Governing Council of the Premier University staged a walk out.

The members included two external members appointed by the federal government Dr Jaju Muhammad and Prof Mande Samaila and two internal members of the council Professor Ademola Aremu and Professor Abel Olorunnisola.

They walked after about five and half hour when the meeting had commenced.

Investigations revealed that the members walked out after efforts to ensure that the Council maintain absolute control and act according to the letter from the Federal Government through the National Universities Commission and Federal Ministry of Education which asked the Council to review the entire process including re-inviting shortlisted 18 candidates for the VC position.

Insider in the Council informed our correspondent that the management of the University under Professor Idowu Olayinka has “been gagging the Council. Those who staged were protesting undue interference of the management in the Affairs of the Governing Council. The Reputation of the University Governing Council is being impuned upon by the fact that the Ministry of Education had to intervene in an affair that the Council ought to have handled. ”

It was gathered that the Council was discussing the validity of the election being conducted on Wednesday by the ougoing Vice Chancellor despite the instruction by the Federal Ministry of Education that the Council should take charge.”

“You see those who staged walk out were asking for the letter from Federal Ministry of Education and NUC. They were saying the Senate was wrong to have hurriedly met and ordered election within 24hours. They were worried that the election did not follow due process. Infact the election is already generating fresh crisis as many contestants pulled out of the election citing violation of FG directive and illegal process as reasons. They felt that Federal Ministry of Education instructed Council to review it and not the Senate. Infact the Letter from the Federal Ministry of Education was not even presented for discussion at the Council meeting until they raised issues on the validity of the election being held on campus. Rather than allow the Council to act on petitions relating to the election, the Vice Chancellor was alleged to have only briefed the Council Chairman who was said the have health challenge at the time. The fundamental allegations levelled against the candidates have not been independently verified and a thorough investigation conducted. The petition was addressed to the Council and not the Senate. They left when it was obvious that due process will not be followed. I think they dont want to be used to endorse illegality”

Investigations revealed that efforts are being made to hurriedly conclude the process and announce the annointed candidate of the outgoing VC, whose tenure expires on November 30 in defiance to directive from the Federal Ministry of Education”

As at the time of filing this report the results of the election is being counted at the Senate meeting of the University.

Available information on the University of Ibadan website however showed that no fewer that four acting Vice Chancellors had been appointed in the past as an internal mechanism out in place to fill the vacuum in the position of Vice Chancellor.