UI VC Selection: Four Council Members Walk Out Of Meeting

The process of selecting a new Vice-Chancellor for the University of Ibadan has been rocked with series of crisis. This is coming after four members of the Governing Council staged a walk out on Wednesday, Nov 25, about five and a half hours after the commencement of the council meeting aimed at selecting a new Vice-Chancellor,

Among them are two external Governing Council members appointed by the Federal Government to oversee the process of appointing a new Vice-Chancellor for the University of Ibadan, Dr Jaju Muhammad and Prof Mande Samaila as well as two internal members of the council, which include Professor Ademola Aremu and Professor Abel Olorunnisola.

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

Members of the Council were reportedly worried that the election for the post of a new Vice-Chancellor which was conducted by the outgoing Vice-Chancellor did not follow due process and that the validity of the election was questionable. According to them, the senate of the institution was wrong to have hurriedly met and ordered election within 24 hours.

It was gathered that the Federal Ministry of Education had earlier instructed the Council to take charge of the election process, an order that was flouted by the outgoing VC whose tenure expires on November 30. As a result of this, many contestants had withdrawn from participating in the election, citing violation of FG directive and illegal process as reasons.

However, another member of the Senate, who was at the meeting where the re-election of the selection committee member was holding said the election was conducted in line with directives of the Minister of Education.