Despite the return of normalcy to the Campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU following the protracted protest by Ile-Ife indigenes over the emergence of a new Vice Chancellor for the University, the crisis is far from being over.
In a fresh development, members of the Ife Progressives Forum, an umbrella body of Ile-Ife indigenes have called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to look into the selection process of the Vice Chancellor in the interest of Justice.
At a Press Conference in Ile-Ife, addressed by the President of the Ife Progressives Forum, Dr Famoriyo Gbolade, the Ile-Ife indigenes maintained that the selection process of the head of the Obafemi Awolowo University was manipulated against the emergence of an Ife person.
Dr Gbolade who presented a table tagged “Academic Profile of the Contestants” submitted that Professor R. A Adedoyin an Ife indigene from the University and Professor O. D Makinde an Idea person who applied from outside were the most qualified of the sixteen scholars screeners for the job of the OAU VC, yet a less qualified person was selected.
” Despite producing many qualified academics over the years, a deliberate mechanism has been put in place to ensure that no indigene has gotten to the post. Now, given precedence set in other federal schools including Universities of Benin, Ibadan and Ilorin, where deliberate efforts were made to appoint indigenes to VC posts, the argument is what is different about Ife?”
Dr Gbolade alleged that ” the secrecy surrounding the exercise is highly suspicious. There was path administered on the members of selection Committee, before the interviews were conducted and after, and during the process of compiling the results.”
Responding to a question on the alleged Protest of traditional worshipers on the campus, the Coordinator of Ife Youths Organization, Mr Abimbola Afolabi explained that what happened on campus was not ritual but prayers to appease God.
Mr Afolabi said if not for the suspension of the protest, there was arraignment to have both Christians and Muslim faithful conduct their own prayer on the University campus.
Recall that following the last week announcement of Professor Adebayo Bamire as the new Vice Chancellor of the University, some residents of Ile-Ife had embarked on protest to draw attention to what they described as a manipulated process to deliberately deny Ife indigene of becoming the Vice Chancellor of the institution.
– Radio NIgeria Ibadan
