The Coalition for Autonomy of Universities in Nigeria (CAUN) on Thursday warned against the introduction of strange factors into the appointment of a new vice chancellor for the University of Ibadan.
CAUN in a statement by its coordinator, Tunde Olaoluwa, made available to journalists in Ibadan, stated that the University of Ibadan deserves and needs meritocracy and “an astute university administrator” as its next vice chancellor, not influenced by extraneous factors like ethnicity, religion, political affiliations, god- fatherism and external parties.
“The University of Ibadan needs a VC that is visionary, cerebral, socially connected, reliable, independent minded and youthful. And, indeed we have these in all those contests; hence, we must allow one who has the edge in terms of scoring based on merit and not mediocrity. The legacy of University of Ibadan must not be destroyed by turning the race to that of ethnicity and religious game.
“Let meritocracy guide us back to the real autonomy of universities in Nigeria, starting with the process of appointment of the vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan. The process must be transparent and acceptable to all stakeholders, so as to guarantee an atmosphere of peace necessary for research, teaching and learning.
“Anything short of adoption of meritocracy will have negative consequences on the future of education in Nigeria. It will set the tone for other universities, given that UI is the training ground for most prospective VCs of Nigerian universities, public and private”.
“The CAUN has watched with keen interest the contest for the position of a vice chancellor in the University of Ibadan. Our particular interest in the VC race in UI stems from the place of UI in university education in Nigeria. It is the premier university, and therefore deserves nothing short of the best in human management, an astute university administrator.
“More worrisome is the introduction of some strange factors, besides academic records and administrative capabilities, into the university contest for VC position. The university system known for its strong, scientific and ethical processes of selection or appointment of vice chancellors has now been corrupted for other pecuniary purposes other than seeking academic transformation of the institution for real growth and development.”
