The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities has condemned the alleged protest against the appointment of Professor Adebayo Bamire as a new Vice-Chancellor for the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, calling on security agencies to properly investigate the incident with a view to bringing perpetrators to book.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Chairman of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors, Emeritus Professor Nimi Briggs, and made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
While insisting that a Vice-Chancellor could be appointed from any part of the country or world at large to manage a University in Nigeria, Briggs said the hostility should be properly investigated by the country’s law enforcement agents, and criminal charges brought against those who fomented it, saying this would serve as a deterrence towards future occurrences and protect the Vice-Chancellor when he assumes office.
He said: “The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Federal Universities viewed with sadness, the recent unfortunate protest that greeted the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor for Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ife.
“Besides blocking the entrance to the University and preventing the free flow of traffic, the protest assumed a most bizarre dimension when masquerades and traditionalists began to parade the campus, placing fetish objects in various locations.
“The insistence that an indigene of Ife be appointed to the position of Vice-Chancellor that formed the basis of the protest is very unfortunate at two levels.
“First, OAU is a Federal Institution and has staff from all over Nigeria. Second, and more importantly, it is a university that recruits staff and students from all over the world. In the same vein, the Vice-Chancellor can come from any part of Nigeria and the wider world,” he said.
He explained that stringent protocols guide the appointment of Vice-Chancellors and that this is a defined scoring formula that is not subjective.
“This is followed by an oral presentation of the candidate’s vision for the University if appointed and his or her track record and pedigree in realising aspects of that vision.
“The answers provided constitute what makes the difference between applicants. The Pro-Chancellor chairs the Selection Committee and the final decision is approved by the Governing Council. The Owelle Oscar Udoji led Council meticulously went through this process to appoint Professor Adebayo Bamire as Vice-Chancellor.
“We salute the fortitude and candour of members in insisting that only the best is best for OAU, which remains one of the best in the continent of Africa,” Briggs said.
He added, “in this 21st century, where higher education is now a key driver of development and prosperity, we cannot run our universities with 19th-century mindsets.
“As Ivory Towers, universities are ranked against each other globally. That is why the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor is as rigorous as it is meticulous.
“In our efforts to rebuild our Universities against their numerous challenges, we cannot afford to introduce primordial sentiments in selecting who should be the chief academic and administrative officer. We urge all stakeholders to forge a common front to tackle the many challenges that currently bedevil our Universities,” the Committee stated.
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