Ilorin Emirate youths under the aegis of Ilorin Emirate Youths’ Development Association (IEYDA) has expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction over what they described as a biased effort engineered during the appointment process of a new Vice Chancellor for the University of Ilorin against her host community.
This was made known via a communique issued at the end of the press briefing and meeting with selected Youth Associations at the association’s secretariat in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on Friday 9th of September, 2022.
The press briefing and meeting which was held in a bid to address what is being described as an Insult and favoritism of non-indigenes towards the occupancy of various principal positions over the indigenes of the host community of the University of Ilorin following the recent appointment of a new Vice Chancellor.
The communique reads: COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MEETING OF MEMBERS OF IEYDA OVER THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW VICE-CHANCELLOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, PROFESSOR ABDUL-WAHAB EGBEWOLE.
THE MEETING HELD TODAY, FRIDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER, 2022.
Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association welcomes you to this press briefing.
This Press Briefing becomes imperative to express displeasure over the recent appointment of the eleventh Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulwahab Olasupo Egbewole by the Governing Council of the Institution.
It is in the public domain that the position of Vice Chancellor was advertised by the University few months ago to attract the interests of suitably qualified candidates from within and outside the country.
Twenty-nine applications were eventually received as stated by the Governing Council.
Thirteen candidates, including six Indigenes, who fulfilled stipulated requirements and other conditions were shortlisted.
At the end of the exercise, proclaimed by the Governing Council of the University, Professor Abdul-Wahab Egbewole, an indigene of Osun state was announced as the Eleventh Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin by the Chairman, Governing Council, Habidu Yesid.
The primary concern of the Ilorin Emirate Youth Association on the entire process was the modalities and procedures adopted by the Governing Council without preferential consideration to the host community as be practised in other climes within the same system, based on academic pedigree, competence and shot ability.
IEYDA wonders why the six indigenes of Kwara state , considered as the first rated part of the host Community were deliberately schemed out of the position by Governing Council of the Institution.
Sadly, the final decision by the Governing Council of the University to arrive at its choice violated the usual rules of existing procedures in appointing anybody to the exalted position.
It was a wrong signal that no one among the shortlisted candidates from the host community is competent as the VicChancellor, regardless of their individual rich academic profile and other related qualities.
It is pertinent to state here that the announcement of non Indigene as the new Vice Chancellor for the University is an insult against collective pedigree of the entire state as the host Community.
Reliable record before the public domain confirmed that Prof. O. O. Akinkugbe (1975–1978) was the 2nd Principal and 1st Vice Chancellor,Prof. A. O. Adesola (1978–1981) 2nd Vice Chancellor, Prof. S. A. Toye (1981–1988) 3rd Vice Chancellor, Prof. A. Adeniyi (1985–1992) 4th Vice Chancellor, Prof.J. O. Oyinloye (1992–1997) 5th Vice Chancellor, Prof. S. O. Abdulraheem (1997–2002) 6th Vice Chancellor,
Others were Prof. S. O. Amali (2002–2007) 7th Vice Chancellor, Prof. I. O. Oloyede (2007–2012) 8th Vice Chancellor, Prof. A. G. Ambali (2012–2017) 9th Vice Chancellor, and outgoing Prof. S. A. Abdulkareem (2017– 2022) 10th Vice Chancellor.
IEYDA therefore, expressed it reservations over the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor since the entire process of the appointment lacked principles of probity, objectivity and fairness, particularly, against the collective interest of the host community.
The process is considered as an intellectual affront and diminishing consideration against the knowledge-based collective pedigree of the host community.
The appointment of Professor Egbewole out of other prominent scholars for the position of the Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin should also be seen as product of selective decision of selected individuals, within and outside system to embarrass the host community.
The premordial sentiments that characterized the selection process on the choice of Professor Abdulwahab Egbewole did not represent the interest of host Community.
It was biased and calculated effort to rubbish erudite scholars from the host community.
The Presidency, Minister of Education, Chairman, Governing Council of the University, Kwara State Government and other relevant stakeholders in the entire process should consider the appointment as an abberation against principles of justice, sincerity of purpose and highest regard for intellectual competence.
IEYDA therefore, charged the concerned authority to have a rethink and desist from acts inimical to the interest of the host community in the appointments into other critical positions within the same institution.
The process of selecting the new Vice Chancellor was shrouded in secrecy as the score-card of the applicants after their so-called thorough scrutiny were not made public as required.
It implied that the new Vice Chancellor was just handpicked by the Governing Council selected few, based on their selfish interest to malign the host community.
IEYDA however, rejects and dissociated itself from the entire process with the hope that the injustice will be genuinely addressed.
The Association therefore, called for calm and continued peace within and outside the system with the conviction that areas raised will be critically examined.
IEYDA considered the entire process as faulty and inconsistent to the usual practice of appointing the Vice Chancellor. Notably, the Governing Council failed to present the factual score-card of each candidate to reflect the shortlisting and screening processes. How the the Governing Council arrived at the last choice was not equally stated nor confirmed. It was a product of blank decision, devoid of objectivity and sincerity of purpose.
Kwara state is endowed with prominent individuals of highest intellectual pedigree, competence and administrative acumen. Therefore, it is quite absurd to note that such age long attributes were not considered in appointing the new Vice Chancellor for University of Ilorin. Why anybody from Osun state when Kwara can steadily boast of multitude number of more competent scholars from different academic background, scattering all over the country and outside the shores of Nigeria.
This is our position and patriotic submissions as critical stakeholders within the host community towards promoting peace and continued peaceful co-existence in the state, the University community and the country at large.
Above is the position of the Association at the end of its emergency meeting held today, Friday 9th Sept, 2022 at its National Secretariat, Ilorin.
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