The race to Ilorin VC’s stool

By Sulaimon Olaurewaju

Prof. Ayo Banjo, Chairman, Governing
Council, University of Ilorin

Ever since the University of Ilorin, through the registrar, Mrs. Olufunke Oyeyemi, announced that the office of the Vice Chancellor will become vacant on October 10, 2007, the whole university community has become politically active. Both the students and the staff are interested in knowing who the next helmsman of the university will be. The interest transcends the ordinary because of the peculiar way the last two VCs emerged.

In 1997, Professor Oba AbdulRaheem from Bayero University, Kano was announced the Vice Chancellor of the university. After the expiration of his tenure in 2002, the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Shamsudeen Onyilokwe Amali, from the University of Jos, succeeded him. Given that background, frontline academics in Unilorin have girded their loins and perfected their strategies to ensure that this time around, one of them is picked as Amali’s successor and not any outsider. Not unexpectedly, this has led to series of intrigues and high level politicking because, though the “home based dons” want one of the them to become the next VC, each of them is also working hard to outwit the others to the prestigious office.

The politicking got to the boiling point when one of the aspirants allegedly sponsored a media report that the Federal Character Commission (FCC) had halted the processes in the appointment of the VC. This move, it was gathered, was taken by the aspirant to gain an advantage over other contenders because the guidelines given by the Federal Ministry of Education for the appointment of a Vice Chancellor does not favour him. The guidelines require that anyone that will be a VC must have a minimum of 10 years post-professorial experience, academic and administrative leadership, fellowship of relevant professional societies, proficiency in ICT, societal linkages, ability to attract funds/research grant and outstanding contributions to knowledge through academic publications/inventions.

While the aspirant is said to be adequately qualified in other respects, he is yet to have 10 years post-professorial qualifications which was the reason for bringing in the issue of the FCC. However, the wind was taken off the sail of the professor when the commission came out publicly to announce that it had nothing to do with the appointment of a university vice chancellor. In a letter to the university, the FCC disowned the Deputy Director, who purportedly signed the letter from the commission directing the university to stop further actions on the selection process and setting aside the guidelines given by the Federal Ministry of Education. With that problem off the way, the selection process resumed with renewed vigour.

At the close of deadline in July, 16 applications were received. Thirteen of them were from the University of Ilorin academics while two came from dons in University of Maiduguri and one from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Two professors, one from ABU, Zaria and another from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, did not apply but were invited to join in the exercise. The Governing Council, led by Professor Ayo Banjo, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, met between 20 and 21 August, 2007 and short-listed eight of the candidates for the next stage. Those short-listed are; Prof Musibau Akanji, Vice Chancellor, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin; Prof Ishaq Oloyede, immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the university; Prof Olu Obafemi, former Dean, Students’ Affairs; Prof Oseni Oloyede, Dean of Science; and Prof. Joseph Atteh, former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture. Others are Prof. Yinka Adesiyun, former Dean, Post graduate School; Prof. S.O Akande, a geologist and Prof Abdugaffar Ambali, a veterinary doctor from the University of Maiduguri.

The Governing Council is expected to further reduce the list to three people. The chairman of Council will later present the final names to the president of the federation who is the visitor to the university. The president will choose one of the three who will replace the outgoing VC. The general consensus among members of the university community is that whichever of the remaining people that is picked as the vice chancellor will be a good choice. The reason is that each of them is a distinguished academic and manager of men and resources. For instance, Ishaq Oloyede, the former DVC, is a tested hand in every sphere of academic endeavour. In addition, he is well-connected. His co-secretaryship of the National Constitutional Conference, his membership of various academic panels at both the NUC and other levels of academic reckoning and his contributions to both Covenant and Bells Universities are a track record that any university will be glad to have its VC parade. Then, his having served as the Deputy Vice Chancellor is an experience which not many offices in the academic community can equal.

Akanji, in his own case, is the current vice chancellor of a private university. The Biochemistry professor is an academic of immense local and international influence who will be able to satisfy the university’s yearning for research grants, funds and linkages. Olu Obafemi is a world-class academic whose competence is not in question. As the president of the prestigious Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), he led the association to record some progress. Then, having served as the Dean of Students’ Affairs, he is properly positioned to handle any issue that may involve the students. In addition, Obafemi is not a first timer to the race for the vice chancellorship. Adesiyun is another veteran in the race for the university’s vice chancellorship. The professor of Agriculture who is on leave of absence from the university to enable him serve as the Managing Director of Kwara State Agricultural Development Project {ADP}, will be an asset to the university if he wins the contest. This is because his wealth of experience as both an academic and a technocrat will be handy in the effort to propel the university towards the dream of the founding fathers.

Though the university community will be satisfied with any of the short-listed people, the contestants are still not leaving anything to chance as they keep on scheming, lobbying and reaching out to the Council, the Senate as well as Aso Rock to ensure that they get the president’s nod to head University of Ilorin.

Amid varsity admission and JAMB limitations

Kunle Awosiyan, Lagos

Again, university admission has begun with candidates writing post University Matriculation Examination at various institutions. Unlike in the past when a candidate’s UME results could guarantee him a place in the university system, it is no more so, at present a candidate has to write a post UME to prove the authenticity of his UME results. The introduction of post UME, spearheaded by the renowned legal luminary and the Chairman, Governing Council of The University of Lagos, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has generated a lot of controversies that nearly cut off the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board from varsity admission.

It was a battle the board never won. This is because after two years that post UME emerged, almost all the universities in the country have bought the idea. The argument of most universities’ governing councils was that the UME was not a true reflection of the candidates’ academic ability and that it would be counterproductive to use it as the ultimate prerequisite for varsity admission. In fact, the National Universities Commission had to come in to save the board from being totally disconnected from the process of varsity admission in the country.

The commission in its effort had to send circular to all universities, instructing them that all admission to both full time and part time first-degree programmes should pass through JAMB and that candidates must have passed UME before then could be considered for admission. The policy further explained that admission letters could only be issued by JAMB but not by the candidate’s university of choice. But it must be noted that JAMB could issue admission letter only to a candidate who had satisfied the requirements of his chosen university. In other words, JAMB does not have the power to admit candidate but it can issue admission letter based on the lists of candidates it receives from various institutions.

Since the NUC’s directive, most universities have dedused various ways of screening their candidates who had scored at least 200 in UME. For example, a candidate who has picked UNILAG as his first choice will have to score at least 50 per cent in the post UME test before he can be considered for admission. As Chief Afe put it, “The Governing Council of UNILAG observed that candidates who scored 300 and above could not score 30 per cent in the post UME while those who scored 200 and above were able to score above 50 in the post UME. We also observed that many who had gained admission with high scores in the UME could not cope with academic activities. Many of them were asked to withdraw. That was why we decided to screen our candidates internally irrespective of their high scores in UME.”

Unlike UNILAG and Olabisi Onabanjo University where candidates would have to sharpen their pencils to write tests, the University of Ibadan had last year introduced a one-on-one interactive session for its candidates. In Ibadan, candidates who scored 200 and above were asked to come with the results of their West African Senior School Certificate Examinations, their birth certificates and UME’s results for an interactive session. A source at the admission office disclosed to Education Tribune that part of the screening was based on the number of distinctions a candidate had in his WASSCE or NECO, adding that that the results of the school certificate examinations carried 60 per cent of the cut off points while UME and other criteria carried 40 per cent.

According to the source, for every candidate, the screening committee selects five subjects including English Language and Mathematics that correspond with the candidate’s course of study. He said that each grade in a subject carried particular number of points, which would be summed up to work out the actual percentage. According to him, candidates who have distinctions in most of their subjects stand the chance of beating the cut off points because distinctions earn the highest points. He stated that ‘A1’ is graded with six points, ‘B2’ five points, ‘B3 four points, ‘C4’ three points, ‘C5’ two points and ‘C6’ one point. But the question is how relevant is JAMB now that universities depend more on the results of post UME than the JAMB’s scores? A candidate, Master Chukwudi Innocent, reacted. He had scored 271 in UME and had enrolled to study economics at the University of Lagos. He told Education Tribune that he could only gain admission if he could pass the post UME test.

According to him, a candidate must score at least 50 per cent to be considered for admission irrespective of the JAMB score. He said, “I scored 283 in the 2006 UME but I could not score 50 per cent in the post UME. That was why I failed to gain admission last year but this year I believe I will pass the post UME.”