Gbenro Adesina
The tenure of the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Adebola Babatunde Ekanola expires today, May 31, 2021 and the institution’s Governing Council is yet to make a pronouncement to either approve the Senate recommendation for Ekanola to spend another six months or announce his successor.
The Governing Council is chaired by an astute politician, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, a former National Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC). Other members of the Council are: Comrade Abba Yaro, Mazud Kazaure, Senator Abubakar Maikafi and Hon. Emeka Nwogbo.
Members of the Premier institution are agitated over who will manage the affairs of the institution for the next six months before the appointment of the 13th VC.
It would be recalled that with the expiration of the tenure of Prof. Idowu Olayinka as the 12th Vice Chancellor on November 30, 2020 and the inability of the institution to democratically organise an election to elect the 13th VC, the former institution’s Governing Council headed by Nde Waklek Joshua Mutka approved the recommendation of the Senate for the appointment of Ekanola as Acting Vice Chancellor for a period of six months, starting from December 1, 2020.
Members of the institution expected Ekanola’s administration to complete the process of the appointment of the 13th VC that Olayinka started, but he was unable to do so.
The attempts of the outgone Governing Council and the outgoing Acting VC to complete the process that would throw up the 13th VC were scuttled by the Federal Government through the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu and Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC) Prof. Abubakar Rasheed.
As the Governing Council was concluding arrangements to hold a meeting to decide a way forward for the completion of the process, a letter from the Ministry of Education, dated 8th February, 2021, and titled, “Re: Further Update on the Impasse in the Selection of a New Vice Chancellor for the University of Ibadan – Notice of Special Meeting of the Governing Council of the University”, signed by Arc. Sonny S. T. Echono, the Permanent Secretary of Education Ministry for the Minister, Adamu Adamu, emphatically instructed the National University Commission (NUC) to ensure that the scheduled meeting did not hold.
The letter with reference number FME/PS/606/C.1/111/172, addressed to the NUC Executive Secretary reads, “I write with reference to your letter No. NUC/ES/334/Vol.125/200 dated 8th February, 2021, on the above subject and to convey the Honourable Minister’s approval for the Governing Council and Management of the University of Ibadan to suspend at once, any further meetings of the Governing Council pending further communication from the Ministry”.
It added, “You are to take necessary action to ensure immediate compliance with the Honourable Minister’s directives by the University. Please, accept the assurances of esteemed regards”.
The PrimeStarsNews reliably gathered that the government indefinitely suspended the process because it wants a new Governing Council and possibly a new acting VC to execute the appointment of the 13th VC.
However, the new Governing Council headed by Chief Oyegun is yet to formally declare the new occupant of the office of the UI VC.
