Gbenro Adesina
As the six months tenure of the acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof. Adebola Ekanola expires at the end of May 2021, the Premier University is in the news again.
The Senate of the institution has summoned an emergency meeting to be held on Monday, May 17, 2021 to consider the possibility of elongating the tenure of the acting Vice-Chancellor so that there will not be a vacuum as a substantive VC has not been appointed.
A circular by the Council to the University Senate read in part:
“In accordance with the extant law stipulated in the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Act of 2003, Section 5, Sub-section (14) which states that “An Acting Vice Chancellor in all circumstances, shall not be in office for more than 6 months”, the attention of Council was drawn to the fact that the six month appointment of Prof. A. B. Ekanola as the Acting Vice Chancellor would expire on Monday, 31 May, 2021.
“However, Council at its meeting of Wednesday 05 May, 2021 noted that the process of appointing a substantive Vice Chancellor could not be concluded due to the dissolution of the Governing Council.
“Given the circumstance, a vacuum cannot be created in the office of the Vice Chancellor and CEO of the University in that if the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor cannot be concluded before 31 May, 2021, the position of the Ag. Vice Chancellor shall lapse.
“Therefore, Council advised that Senate should consider the above matter and make its recommendation to Council”.
It would be recalled that with the expiration of the tenure of Prof. Idowu Olayinka as Vice Chancellor (VC) on November 30, 2020, the Governing Council, on the recommendation of the Senate of the institution, appointed Prof. Ekanola as Acting Vice Chancellor for a period of six months starting from December 1, 2020.
However, it was gathered that when the acting vice chancellor was to be elected, two positions emerged at the Senate meeting. One position supported the University Act which would have seen one of the Deputy Vice Chancellors being appointed as the acting VC without going through election based on hierarchy as was the situation on four earlier occasions where the University of Ibadan had an acting VC.
The second group called for setting aside the University Act and an election be conducted as proposed by the letter from the Minister of Education.
In order to give peace a chance, it was gathered that the first group conceded to the demand by the second group. Invariably, there were five valid nominations, with the sitting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Prof Ekanola winning overwhelmingly, by polling 69.3% of the total votes.
Now that the tenure of the acting VC is about to elapse, one group says elongating his tenure is contrary to the University Act, asking the Senate to appoint another qualified person in an acting capacity.
Another group is of the opinion that Ekanola’s tenure should be elongated.
They cited examples of Prof. Anthony Elujoba, who spent a total of 11 months as acting VC at Obafemi Awolowo University between 2016 and 2017, Prof. Ishola Adamson, who spent nine months as acting VC at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, and the current acting VC of University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Stephen A. Okodudu, who completed his first six months, which has since been rolled over for another six months as a substantive VC is yet to be appointed.
Speaking with PrimeStarNews, a member of the University Senate said the University Act should not have been set aside initially when Prof Ekanola was elected as acting VC.
He stated: “By deciding to vote for candidates for the position of Acting Vice-Chancellor as caused by the Emergency situation on November 30 2020, Senate had put in abeyance the provisions of the Act as strongly canvassed by many members of Senate. Senate had thus deliberately invoked the Doctrine of Necessity and the Doctrine of Expediency. It is rather curious that the group that canvassed vigorously for the Act to be set aside on November 30 2020 is now agitating for a return to the same Act. Academics who seek the truth should observe the maxim “He who comes into equity must come with clean hands”.
He gave an insight into the four occasions when UI had an acting VC.
According to him, when the process for the appointment of a new VC could not be concluded at the end of the four-year tenure of Prof. Samson Olajuwon Olayide (1979-1983) who was the 5th Vice-Chancellor, the sitting Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ayo Banjo, was appointed the acting VC. He served in that capacity from December 1 1983 till November 30 1984 after which he emerged as the 6th substantive Vice Chancellor.
Also, when the process for appointing a Vice-Chancellor was not concluded at the end of the tenure of Prof. A.B.O.O. Oyediran as the 7th Vice-Chancellor, the two positions of Deputy Vice Chancellor were vacant. The next in line was the Provost of the College of Medicine, Prof. Oladosu Ojengbede, who as acting from December 1995 till March 1996.
Likewise, when Prof. Omoniyi Adewoye was completing his tenure as the 8th Vice Chancellor, the process for the appointment of his successor was yet to be completed. Prof. Olufunso Olorunsogo, up till then the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) was appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor and he served from March to September 2000.
By the time Prof. Ayodele Falase was completing his tenure as the 9th Vice-Chancellor, the process for appointing his successor was also not yet completed. Prof. O. A. Bamiro, who was the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) and a very strong contender for the position of Vice Chancellor, was appointed the acting VC and he served in that capacity from September 25, 2005 till November 30, 2005. He was to emerge the 10th substantive Vice-Chancellor and he served in that capacity from December 1, 2005 till November 30, 2010.
The outcome of the Senate meeting tomorrow will determine what the process of electing the substantive 13th Vice Chancellor of the Premier University will look like in the coming months.
