The National Universities Commission has again waded into the crisis rocking the University of Ibadan over the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor to replace the incumbent, Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka.
The NUC made its position known in a letter dated November 27, 2020 by its Executive Secretary, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, to the Pro-Chancellor of the university.
In the letter, the Governing Council of the university was told to appoint an acting VC, while Olayinka must hand over to whoever was so appointed on November 30, 2020 or December 1, 2020.
The letter, signed by the NUC’s Executive Secretary (Academics), Dr. Suleiman Ramon-Yusuf, for Rasheed, reads: “You will please recall the directives of the Honourable Minister of Education on the resolution of the impasse in the process for the appointment of a new vice chancellor for the University of Ibadan.
“I write at the behest of the Executive Secretary to convey the Honourable Minister’s further directive on necessary steps to resolve the impasse and restore peace and harmony necessary for the discharge of the university’s core mandate:
“The Governing Council of the University of Ibadan is hereby directed to shift its meeting earlier scheduled for 10.00 a.m.on Monday, 30th November 2020 to discuss the issue of appointment of a new vice-chancellor to later in the afternoon on the same day.
“The university Senate should convene a special meeting for the purpose of selecting one of its members who is not a candidate in the ongoing process fur the selection of a new vice-chancellor, for recommendation to the Governing Council for appointment as acting vice-chancellor for a period of not more than six months as stipulated in section 3(13) and (14 ) of the Universities (Miscellaneous provisions: (Amendment) Act, 2002
“In view of the fact that the tenure of the incumbent Vice-Chancellor expires on Monday 30th November 2020, it is pertinent for the Governing Council to meet in the afternoon of Monday, 30 November 2020 to consider and approve the appointment of the Senate nominee as acting vice-chancellor in order to avoid a vacuum in the administration of the university.
“Following the appointment of an acting vice-chancellor, the outgoing vice-chancellor should hand over to the acting vice-chancellor possibly on Monday 30 November 2020 or latest by Tuesday 1st of December, 2020.
“The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council is also directed to attend a meeting with the Honourable Minister of Education in his office on Wednesday, 2nd December 2020 at 11.00 a.m. to brief the Honourable Minister on developments following the Ministerial directives on the resolution of the impasse.”
