Of OAU and politics of indigenisation
News reports have it that on March 17, the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife announced the appointment of Professor Adebayo Bamire as the new Vice-Chancellor. He emerged as the 12th vice chancellor after defeating 19 other applicants who vied for the post, scoring 84.6 per cent to come top. Sadly, upon his announcement […]
News reports have it that on March 17, the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife announced the appointment of Professor Adebayo Bamire as the new Vice-Chancellor. He emerged as the 12th vice chancellor after defeating 19 other applicants who vied for the post, scoring 84.6 per cent to come top. Sadly, upon his announcement as the new vice-chancellor, some indigenes of Ile-Ife, who had been pushing for the appointment of an indigene as the new Vice-Chancellor with charms and other occultic/dangerous instruments, have continued to disrupt the peace of the university community.
First, the appointment of the vice-chancellor of a university should be based on both academic and administrative merits that are steeped in character.
Second, a federal university, regardless of its location, is a property of the federal government and every Nigerian who has the requirements of any opening in the institution has the right to get it without any fear or intimidation. It is, even, execrably disappointing that the newly appointed vice-chancellor, is a Yoruba man from, Oyan, Osun State, the very state where the university is located. This further disapproves the reproachable attitude of the protesting Ife indigenes as needless, divisive and ethnocentric all of which are against the ethics of academia and development.
The renegade attitude of the Ife protesters is fast becoming the norm in Nigerian universities. For example, it took the University of Ibadan some quality time before it presented to us its current VC as information has it that some Ibadan indigenes had protested that their son had never been appointed to head the university since its inception.
Pathetically, as long as religion, emotion, community interest and ethnicity begin to play the leading roles in the selection of vice-chancellors and the administration of a citadel of learning, excellence and quality education will be crippled and sent to Golgotha.
A university is a shelter of excellence for thought and a laboratory of intellect for the larger society, therefore, the attitude of the protesting indigenes of Ile-Ife , where it is believed that all Yoruba people of the world hailed from, is sad. Their protest against the appointment of a fellow Yoruba man is both primitive and divisive. What if the vice-chancellor were from up north or the eastern zone? War might erupt. Disunity at its peak.
Overall, it is time indigenes of a place where any federal university is located knew that every Nigerian who is qualified for any position in the school has the right to get it. Re-orientation, which may be backed with sanctions if broken, needs to be done. And I hope our traditional leaders, particularly the Ooni of Ife, will step in to douse the smouldering situation.
Folorunso Fatai Adisa, wrote from Abeokuta via [email protected]