Gbenro Adesina
President Muhammadu Buhari today showed his displeasure at the crisis that engulfed the University of Ibadan (UI) over the appointment of the 13th Vice Chancellor of the nation’s Premier University, which he described as “Unnecessary and unwarranted”.
Buhari, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Administration of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Chris Jibreel Maiayaki, stated this at the 73rd Foundation Day celebration and convocation ceremony of the institution.
He said, “the event of the last one year when the university was deeply enmeshed in an unusual conflict over the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor was both unnecessary and unwarranted. As the oldest and one of the most respected institution of higher learning in the country, the University of Ibadan should have demonstrated greater maturity in handling its leadership selection process”.
“It is unfortunate that government had to dissolve the previous cancel and took other measures in order to avert a major crisis in the university”, he added.
The President warned the university to ensure that such crises do not occur again, saying that the institution should focus on its primary mandate of teaching, research and community service.
“Our universities, particularly the University of Ibadan should serve as moral exemplars, as patterns to be copied by the larger societies”, he noted.
Buhari commended the new governing council of the university under the leadership of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun for restoring peace and normalcy to the university through a successful resolution of the crisis of appointing the institution’s Vice Chancellor.
He also commended the Senate of the university and other critical stakeholders within and outside, for working closely with the former acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebola Ekanola in resolving the conflict and starting the process of rebuilding the reputation of the university.
While congratulating the new Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Adebowale, Buhari charged him to continue to provide fair, open and transparent leadership to ensure greater peace, progress and development of the institution.
He said, “The University of Ibadan, because of its history and the caliber of the faculty should rightly aspire to be the leading university not just in Nigeria but in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa”.
Buhari appealed to all staff unions in the nation’s universities to show greater maturity and understanding in their agitation for improved condition of service, saying that the government remains committed to the improvement of the welfare of staff and students throughout the country.
He challenged all universities in Nigeria to be alive to their responsibilities, noting that his government has given priority to education, especially tertiary education since the inception of the administration.
According to him, his administration has committed itself to increasing budgetary allocation to education by 50 percent over the next two years and by 100 percent over the next five years, stressing, “This is in addition to strengthening other intervention measures in educational development”.
He, however, noted that education cannot be left to government alone because of its enormous financial involvement adding, “The private sector must be actively involved in the task of providing quality education for Nigerians”.
On his determination to fight corruption, Buhari noted that the tertiary single account TSA, which was introduced by his administration as part of the measures to curb corruption is working effectively.
He noted that it has now become difficult to misappropriate or divert government fund under any disguise.
Pointing out that UI is undoubtedly a foremost university to be reckoned with internationally, he said, “It is evidently clear that one of the several achievements of the university of Ibadan is the international recognition it has gained as a centre of excellence. While maintaining its tradition of excellence, it has recorded successes in producing man and women who have made positive contributions to the development of the country by proffering solutions to some of the challenges confronting it”.
Congratulating the doctoral graduands, who have been found worthy in character and learning, Buhari stated, “The knowledge you have acquired here should be focus on creating employment opportunities rather than roaming the streets for jobs that do not exist. The “Nigerian Project” is our collective responsibility and it must not fail. The success of the project depends on the contributions of each and every Nigeria”.
