The Vice-Chancellor of University of Ilesa (UNILESA), Professor Taiwo Asaolu, has raised concern over the growing activities of land grabbers and illegal occupants on the institution’s land.
Asaolu said the development reflects the broader challenges confronting university administrators across Nigeria.
The accounting professor spoke during the Second Bursary and Internal Audit Annual Lecture of Elizade University held in Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State.
A copy of the lecture titled “Ethics under pressure: Managing financial risk and integrity in university governance” was sighted by journalists on Friday.
According to Asaolu, vice-chancellors across Nigerian universities are under pressure from diverse and sometimes conflicting interests among stakeholders.
He said: “As I’m speaking with you, we have illegal residents on our campus, rearing goats, chickens and others.
“We have taken the Osun Rangers (local security operatives) there to chase them, but they are still there.”
The vice-chancellor said the institution is also battling land grabbers who have challenged the university’s ownership of its land despite compensation already paid to their families.
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He said: “We have land grabbers whose fathers have collected compensation.
“They said they didn’t know anything about it, so they want to retrieve the land.
“Not only do they want to retrieve the land, but they have also started construction, only to know that they mean business, and these are people who are bold enough to take us to court.”
Asaolu added that the presence of multiple traditional authorities and community interests around the university has further complicated administration.
He said: “In Ijesa land, we have traditional rulers, so many of them, and when you talk about the University of Ilesa, of course, the university belongs to them, so whatever you are doing, recruitment, admission, and all others, you must reckon with them.
“Also, you have diverse and conflicting stakeholders’ interests.
“The University of Ilesa is a new university.
“We have recruited from other student unions. But you have us, as you have said here.
“We have recruited from student unions, tutors and staff. Academic, non-teaching technologists, and so many of them.
“But I will tell you it is not easy. We are dealing with the students, parents, management, staff, teachers and other stakeholders.”
The vice-chancellor urged governing councils of universities to strengthen financial oversight structures.
He said: “Establish an independent audit and risk committee with external experts,” to enhance objective oversight of financial management systems.
Asaolu also advised university authorities to “implement a comprehensive whistleblowing policy and ethical training for the purpose of early detection of fraud and culture of accountability.”
Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Professor Adenike Oladiji, said the lecture topic reflected the realities university administrators face.
She said: “I think it’s just the best thing to do at a time like this.
“I salute the courage of the person who came up with this topic because I’m sure they know that we are under a lot of pressure, as was said during the lecture.”
Oladiji urged stakeholders to respect legal frameworks guiding university administration.
She said: “We must be guided by our law in dealing with all of these pressures because you are always right when you’re on the part of the law.
“Then number two is for us to create sensitisation.
“The university community must also know that there are stakeholders whose expectations and interests at times can be conflicting, but with a lot of education, I believe we can resolve all of these things.”
Earlier, the Bursar of Elizade University, Ajeigbe Samuel, said the lecture topic was timely given the financial and governance pressures facing university administrators.
He said the subject was appropriate “now that there are confronting social, financial and political pressures contending with professionalism in the management of finances of universities and corporate entities.”
