by Raheem Oluwafunminiyi
In the last couple of weeks, there has been series of newspaper reports on the battle over the vacant Vice Chancellor seat of the Osun State University, Osogbo (UNIOSUN). The battle, it is believed, may not be unconnected with the shoddy attitude displayed by the Professor Gabriel Olawoyin (SAN) led Governing Council towards the selection and final handpicking of vested interests for the highly coveted seat. This to many, may begin to affect the dreams the founding fathers had of the university and if nothing is done to nip the issue on the head, the six year old university may begin to falter. It is therefore, the reason all stakeholders of the UNIOSUN project, most especially the Visitor of the university and Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who surprisingly was a victim of political injustice at some point, must begin to take active interest in the on-going selection process of the appointment of the Second Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University.
Several issues have been raised, most especially on the processes that led to the shortlisting of four out of seven applicants who applied for the V.C seat which, so far, has been marred by controversy and allegations of unfairness and non-compliance with due process. It is a well known fact that there have been subtle attempts to manipulate Osun State University Law 2006 to favour some vested interests within and without Osun State University. The UNIOSUN Law 2006 is clear on issues pertaining to the selection and final appointment of the V.C. This in itself must be upheld and respected by council for the sake of justice, fairness and sustainability of the new university.
The selection of four out of seven candidates must be reviewed based on several salient issues raised by certain groups within and friends of the university following events from outside. Never has it been known in the appointment of a V.C in a Nigerian university where a candidate who is passed the age required by law is selected for shorlisting. It is totally out of place to shortlist candidate(s) who certainly may be experienced in their respective fields of specialisation or have attained the minimum ten year professorial cadre, but do not satisfy the age required by extant laws of the university. It is therefore, a surprise that the Prof. Olawoyin led council had shortlisted Professors Olu Odeyemi, who is 66 years and a contract Professor of Microbiology at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife; Oladiran Famurewa, a 63 year Professor of Microbiology at Ekiti State University, Ekiti; Duro Ajeyalemi, a 62 year Professor of Science and Technology Education, University of Lagos and Ayodeji Peter Agbonjimi, a 62 years and a Professor of Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine, who is formerly of Lagos State University and now at a University in South Africa, as possible candidates for the much coveted seat.
The University Law 2006 is clear on the maximum age limit of the Vice Chancellor which is 65 years. This makes it out rightly impossible for those candidates who are between 61 and 66 years to have applied in the first place how much more shortlisted.
Furthermore, the Professor Olawoyin led Council and the Management of the University since its inauguration last year has refused to reach out to the University Alumni to select one of its members into Council despite the Second Schedule, Osun State University, University Statute NO.1, Article 1, Sub-Section 1 (e) relating to the Officers of the University and the Composition of the Council, stating clearly that Council SHALL consist of the Representative of the Alumni Association.
The Alumni on the other hand was inaugurated on May 21, 2011 which served as the date the first convocation of the University was held and led by the pioneer Vice-Chancellor Professor Sola Akinrinade. If the Alumni are readily on standby, what then is the motive behind not inviting one of them into Council, many in the University and Alumni members had asked? Aside this, the Alumni strongly hold the view that the Professor Gabriel Adesiyan Olawoyin led Council is NOT yet validly and constitutionally constituted, having refused to allow a representative of the Alumni in the Council while both the Management and Council of Osun State University has wilfully, denied unjustly and constitutionally excluded the alumni body representation in the second Governing Council of Osun State University in spite of express provision in the Osun State University Law that the alumni body must have a representative in the Council.
As a stakeholder in the UNIOSUN Project, it is our view that persons who are very knowledgeable about the culture of the university, its organisation, administration and aspirations should constitute the University Council and expressly hold the role of the V.C.
For those who may not be in the know, since the tenure of the Pioneer Council of the University led by Professor Peter Okebukola expired few years back, the university has not been the same again. The vision of the founding fathers to make the university world class is fast dwindling because those who matter in the continuity of this dream have been displaced and replaced with individuals who do not share the same dreams as its original founders. Therefore, we ask that all hands must be on deck to ensure that all issues raised, most especially the selection of candidates who are passed the required age by the University Law must be effectively looked into.
The University alumni seek to charge all those concerned to allow a level playing field for all candidates which in the end will not only provide a friendly atmosphere for all but help in sustaining the ideals of the university as a world class institution. The alumni also ask that Council should with immediate effect appoint a member of the alumni into Council so as to also play its statutory role as a voice for the current and future students of the university.