The Registrar of the Obafemi Awolowo University, D. O Awoyemi, has on this day, 17th June 2016, released the side of the Governing Council concerning the events that have transpired over the past few months as regards the appointment of a Vice-Chancellor for the University. In the release, he stated that the council did not receive any Court order stopping the process as claimed by the Protesting Unions. Find the Official release below;
1. The position of the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi
Awolowo University, becomes vacant at the expiration
of the incumbent’s 5-year tenure, on 23rd June,
2016.
2. The University Governing Council, at its 238th
meeting held on 8th December, 2015, approved that
the procedure for the appointment of a new Vice-
Chancellor should commence.
3. Advertisement for the position was placed in six
national dailies and responses were received from
interested candidates. The closing date for the
submission of applications was 26th January, 2016.
4. Council followed the procedure provided in the Laws
and the Statutes of the University by constituting a
Search Team consisting of:
A member of the Council, who is not a member of the
Senate, as Chairman
Two members of the Senate, who are not members of the
Council, one of whom shall be a Professor
Two members of the Congregation who are not members
of the Council, one of whom shall be a Professor
5. Senate, at its meeting held on 27th January, 2016,
elected two of its members to serve on the Search
Team. Congregation, also, at its meeting of 26th
January, 2016 had elected its representatives on the
team. Council at its special meeting of 28th
January, 2016, elected Chief Moses Otazi as
Chairman for the Search Team.
6. Council, at its meeting of 8th March, 2016, received
and considered the report of the Search Team.
Thirty-one (31) candidates were searched from
universities in Zaria, Nsukka, Lagos, Port Harcourt,
Benin, Ibadan and Ile-Ife. Only 3 indicated
interest, but, at the end, none of the three submitted
applications.
7. In conformity with Statute 6 of the Laws of the
University and Step 2 of the guidelines from the
Federal Ministry of Education, Council at that same
meeting, shortlisted the applications of the
candidates, using the eligibility criteria as advertised
in the newspapers for the post of the Vice-
Chancellor. At the end of the exercise, 6 candidates
were shortlisted from the 11 applications received.
8. Senate, at its meeting of March 30, 2016, elected
two of its members to form part of the Joint Council
and Senate Selection Board for the appointment of
Vice-Chancellor.
9. Council, at its meeting of April 6, 2016, also
elected two of its members to serve on the Joint
Council and Senate Selection Board for the
appointment of Vice-Chancellor. The representative of
the Federal Ministry of Education in the University
Governing Council, as well as a Commissioner and
the Secretary of Federal Universities at the Federal
Character Commission were also invited to serve as
Observers at the interaction with the shortlisted
candidates.
10. The Joint Council and Senate Selection Board met on
April 7, 2016, and drew up the scoring criteria for
the appointment of Vice-Chancellor in line with the
guidelines provided by the Federal Ministry of
Education, after which it was ready to commence
interaction with the shortlisted candidates.
Unfortunately, the candidates could not gain access
to the venue of the interaction as a result of the
violent protests of SSANU and NASU led by Mr.
S. O. Oketunde, Chairman of SSANU and Mr.
Wole Odewumi, Chairman of NASU and the
blockade of the entrances of the Pro-Chancellor’s
lodge and the Vice-Chancellor’s lodge, while the
Unions were trying to file some Court processes. Later
the same day, while the Council was meeting to be
briefed by the Chairman of Council on what
transpired during the day, the Chairman of
SSANU, Mr. S. O. Oketunde and the Chairman of
NASU, Mr. Wole Odewumi, led their members,
armed with sticks, cudgels and machetes, to storm
the venue of the meeting and held Council members
hostage, threatening to harm or kill them. It was
the eventual intervention of the Ooni of Ife, His
Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II,
following several distress calls by the Pro-Chancellor
and the Vice-Chancellor to the revered Monarch and
the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, that
saved the Council members, who were allowed to
leave the venue only at about 1.00 a.m. at the
arrival of the Area Commander. The Council, upon a
careful review of the situation, took the inevitable
decision that all subsequent meetings of the Selection
Board and the Council on the selection process shall
be held at venues outside Ile-Ife for the safety of
the lives of the members of Council and the Selection
Board.
11. On Friday, April 8, 2016, a NOTICE OF
APPLICATION for an interim injunction was
served on the University. The Council, being a law-
abiding entity, accepted the notice when it was
served. It became apparent that the forceful
disruption of the meetings of both the Selection
Board and the Council was to allow SSANU and
NASU to finish the business of filing the notice of
application.
12. It is important to invite the attention of
members of the University community
to the fact that, as at today, Friday,
17th June, 2016, there is no court
order, ruling or judgment restraining
the University Governing Council from
appointing a new Vice-Chancellor for
the University.
Signed
Registrar and Secretary to Council
June 17, 2016.
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