Drama as UI begins fresh process to select new VC

There was heavy presence of armed security personnel at the Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan on Wednesday where the Senate of the university commenced a fresh selection process for a new vice chancellor of the institution.

The Senate had convened for an election of two members that will be part of the Joint Council/Senate Representatives to screen applicants for the new VC of the 72-year-old university.

The online election of the senate members to be part of the selection committee which was done electronically in September was cancelled and was asked to be conducted afresh.

This came just as four members of the governing council reportedly staged a walkout from the meeting held at the International Conference Centre.

Profs Ademola Aremu, Abel Olorunnisola, Mande Samaila and Dr Jaju Muhammad reportedly walked out of the meeting after about five and a half hours of the proceedings.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had ordered the selection of a new VC to replace Prof Idowu Olayinka whose tenure expires on November 30 should start afresh.

The minister had directed all 18 applicants for the post be invited and screened again following the protests against the first process by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff Union.

The two candidates that emerged winners in the first election won again on Wednesday in the election conducted manually, it was learnt.

Six professors, who announced their withdrawal from the election, said the notice was too.

Profs Peter Olapegba, Ayoola and Moshood Akinsola participated in the election.

Olapegba who had scored 362 in the previous online voting scored 302 in the manual poll; Prof Ezekiel  Ayoola, who also scored 352 votes in the online election polled 299 votes while Akinsola who scored 20 votes before polled 17 in the manual election on Wednesday.