The Senate of the University of Ibadan has scheduled a special meeting for Monday, November 30, to select one of its members as Acting Vice Chancellor.
The development followed a letter from the National Universities Commission (NUC) directing the suspension of the process of selecting a new Vice Chancellor for the institution which had stalled despite the directive from the Minister of Education on the matter.
An internal memo signed by Morenike Afolabi, Deputy Registrar Senate, Admission and Affiliated Institutions (SAAI), on behalf of the institution’s Registrar said the special meeting would hold by 10a.m, at the International Conference Centre.
READ ALSO: Maradona: Anger Over Funeral Home Photos With Legend’s Open Coffin
“Agendum: Selection of one of its members as Ag. Vice-Chancellor (The candidate must not be one of the contestants for the position of Vice-Chancellor). Please attend and be punctual,” the memo read.
A source close to the management of the institution said this would be the first time the nation’s Premier University would be selecting an Acting Vice Chancellor.
“It is a shame for the outgoing VC not to midwife a succession. It has never happened in the history of the University,” the source said.
The New Agency of Nigeria (NAN)recalled that in a letter dated 27th Nov. 2020, the NUC had directed the Governing Council of the University to appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor to take over from the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, on Nov. 30.
The directive became expedient following the stalemate in the appointment of a new vice-chancellor to replace Olayinka, whose term expires on Nov,30.
The Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, had said in the letter addressed to the Pro-Chancellor of the University, that the appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor was to avoid a vacuum in the administration of the university.
NAN also reports the Pro Chancellor of the institution, Nde Joshua Waklek had been summoned to Abuja by the NUC, following the meeting held on Monday that resulted in another round of protests by the two Non-academic staff unions, citing non compliance with due process as stated by the NUC in its letter of 23 Nov. 2020.
