EDITORIAL: Don’t indigenize the VC’s office
The pedestrian and rather retrogressive and clannish reasoning driving Nigerian politics recently resurfaced in one of the iconic universities of Nigeria, University of Ibadan (UI) when the President General of a leading sociocultural group—the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Mr. Adeyemi Soladoye, called on the Visitor to appoint one of their sons as the vice chancellor of the university.
Mr Soladoye alleged that no Ibadan indigene has ever been appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI) since it was established in 1948.
He noted that of the 14 Nigerian-born vice chancellors of the institution since 1960 none has come from Ibadanland.
Mr. Soladoye termed this as ‘marginalization’ and insisted that it was high time an Ibadan indigene was appointed vice chancellor of the nation’s premier university to succeed the incumbent, Professor Abel Olayinka, who leaves office in December 2020.
This call comes at a time when the position of vice chancellor has been declared open for interested and qualified professors to compete for the job. Already, four Ibadan indigenes, among other professors from elsewhere, are vying for the position.
Mr. Soladoye also called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to intervene and ensure that an Ibadan indigene emerged as vice chancellor at the conclusion of the selection process currently going on.
We must observe that this is not the first time that indigenes of host communities of federal universities in Nigeria would be calling for the indigenization of the position of the vice chancellor.
A similar call was made recently by Nsukka indigenes during the last selection process of the incumbent vice chancellor. The indigenes of Lagos, Edo, Maiduguri, Zaria, et cetera had, at some point, called for the emergence of their indigenes as vice chancellors.
In some cases, the development has taken the form of the alumni calling for one of its members to be appointed vice chancellor.
The point is that whatever form the calls of interest or pressure groups on the appointment of vice chancellors may take, it is in bad faith and in bad taste.
It is unacceptable and condemnable for several reasons. It creates the wrong and dangerous impression that professors who are indigenes of a place where universities are located could not, on their own, without such interventions, emerge as vice chancellors.
It also implies that indigene-ship should be added as a criterion in the appointment of vice chancellors.
It follows also that nepotism, rather than merit or high academic standards, should be practised in the appointment of chief executives of universities.
Besides, the call is dangerous, if heeded, because it is in breach of the principle of the autonomy of university councils, provided for by law, in the selection and appointment of vice chancellors.
This is because President Muhammadu Buhari cannot interfere with the university Senate and Council processes in the selection and appointment of vice chancellors.
He can only do so if the laid down procedures and processes are not followed as provided by law. Once due process is followed it is immaterial whether or not an indigene, an alumnus emerges as vice chancellor.
The university Senate and Council processes and procedures for the selection and appointment of vice chancellors are firmly established by law.
There is no provision for town, village, clan, ethnic or alumni indigene-ship.
The law stipulating the processes and procedures to be followed to which the university community made considerable input is intended to seek out the best of the best or the first among equals as vice chancellors.
Though they sometimes appear to creep in surreptitiously, ethnic and clannish considerations have no place in those processes and procedures.
It is our considered opinion, therefore, that the allegation of marginalization of Ibadan indigenes in the appointment of UI vice chancellors is misplaced.
If professors of Ibadan origins had qualified in the past to be appointed vice chancellors, they would have got the post strictly on merit.
Now that there are four of them vying for the position it is not the time to whip up clannish sentiments lest it should cast a slur on their credibility to compete on equal terms with others.
We do hope that it is not one of the contestants that has gone to officials of CCII to canvas a narrow ethnic agenda.
If this is the case, then it is most unfortunate. The iconic and historic University of Ibadan should not be dragged to the level of a clannish university.
Finally, two important lessons have become imperative from all of this.
The nation’s leadership should demonstrate a capacity for zero tolerance of tribalism, clannishness, and nepotism in the appointment of public officers to public positions.
It is often the body language of the nation’s leadership that sends the wrong signals to institutions of society.
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The Buhari government has given the message that inappropriate conduct such as clannishness and nepotism may be permissible in the appointment of candidates to positions requiring merit, trust, integrity, and competence.
Above all, and perhaps, more importantly, vice chancellors should be selected for their capacity to lead in research and scholarship not for dispensing patronage, awarding contracts, and giving unwarranted appointments to cronies and relatives.
Likewise, the Senate and Councils of universities should stand firm against all undue manipulations and pressures from within and outside, and uphold the integrity of the university system by following due process in the selection and appointment of vice chancellors.
