The Nation Newspaper

Tag: VC

  • UTME ban: VC warns about scammers

    The Vice Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) in Ondo, Ondo State, Prof Friday Okonofua, said no university would abide by the new policy of the Federal Government on scrapping the post Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).

    Okonofua, who claimed the government did not consult Vice-Chancellors before making the pronouncement, said such step would only encourage scammers in the admission process.

    The VC spoke at a briefing organised to launch the Friends of UNIMED Fund (FUF) held at the university conference hall.

    “The government should not introduce policies that would encourage corruption in the education sector,” Okonufua warned.

    He said one of the challenges facing tertiary institutions in the country is inadequate funding.  He added that institutions that seek global excellence must explore alternative methods of funding.

    He noted that the new university has up to 10 different fund raising strategies, one of which is the FUFs.

    “The goal of the institution is to attract one million faithful friends, who make donations of at least N1,000 each. This will amount to about N1billion each year, enough to embark on major developmental project each year for the university,” Okonofua said.

    As a reward, the VC said donors would be included in the roll call and honours of friends that will be published from time to time; mentioned as donors in any project to be supported with proceeds of the fund; and regularly receive information about the university.

  • Ex-UI VC urges Fed Govt to include research funds in budget

    A former  Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Olufemi Bamiro, has urged the Federal Government  to make provisions for research funds in appropriation bills.

    His position was shared by a university don Prof Layi Fagbenle  at the book lunch to celebrate the 81st birthday of Prof Babajide Lucas.

    The book was entitled: “Renewable Natural Resoruces Engineering: Essays in honour of Canon Prof Babajide Lucas”.

    Bamiro said:  “This is a country that has depended so much on oil,  which has become traditional energy, but surely we can see now the way the world is going, everybody is looking towards renewable energy. We have to look into the direction of solar energy supply. In Nigeria, we still need to be serious in our energy drive because the world  is moving away from oil and gas to the renewable and the non- renewable, which must be utilised.”

    Fagbenle  said: “ When nations are focused on research result, they will get developed and many problems will be solved. I know what my student go through before they can be able to finish their research work due to funding.”

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof Idowu Olayinka, who was represented by the Deputy VC Administration, Prof Emilolorun Ayilari, described Lucas as a disciplinarian and educationist.

  • Post-UTME exam cancellation, an error, says VC

    Post-UTME exam cancellation, an error, says VC

    The out-going Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife, Professor  Bamitale Omole has described the scrapping of post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) examination for students seeking admission into universities in the country as a monumental error.

    Omole said the government decision is inimical to the concept of quality education and the quality of students being admitted into tertiary institutions in the country. He said the post -UTME exam is a quality control measure put in place by the universities to select students that meet their standard.

    He said the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) conduct examination for candidates while the universities set their own standard which must be met by the applicants seeking admission. The scrapping of post-UTME is a great disservice to education of this country, he lamented.

    Omole who spoke at an interactive session with jreporters in Lagos, yesterday said: “The scrapping of post-UTME test is a monumental error that could be made by any government. It is uncalled for. It is inimical to the universities effort in selecting quality students for admission.  Every year, JAMB sends one million names to OAU for admission. We have space for only 5,000 fresh students.  How do we pick the best out of the one million candidates? We set our standard through post-UTME test”.

    On the allegation that he imposed his successor on the university community, the vice chancellor said it was not possible because “it is the responsibility of the University Council to appoint vice chancellor of which I am not a member; I was not a member of the search committee and the committee that shortlisted the applicants. The new vice chancellor went through the process of selection”.

    On his stewardship, Omole said during his tenure, OAU was ranked first and the best University in Nigeria and the eighth in Africa by Cybermetrics Labs, leading assessors in the global ranking of universities. He said this was made possible through massive infrastructural development and research activities facilitated by his administration.

     

     

  • OAU workers petition EFCC to probe VC

    The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria University (SSANU), and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), chapters have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption against the outgoing Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof Bamitale Omole.

    Omole was accused of “extra-budgetary expenses, unlawful appointments, misappropriation of funds, and corruption” in a petition signed by Comrades Ademola Oketunde and Wole Odewumi, Chairmen of SSANU and NASU.

    Omole was accused of “awarding of NUGA games contract meant for construction of tracks at a reverse bid of N149 million from the N191 million, which made the Chairman of the bidding Committee resign.

    “Misappropriation of over N5 billion Needs Assessment funds without the approval of the University Budgetary Monitoring Committee, running down the OAU Teaching and Research Farm, Fraudulent underpayment of all workers of the university by a sum equivalent to 7.5 per cent, allocation of  university land to an individual (Mrs Cynthia Amoru)” among others.

    The petitioners urged the EFCC to investigate the outgoing Vice-Chancellor without further delay.

    However, the Public Relation Officer of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju described the allegations as baseless, stressing that only the court of law can convict Omole of corruption.

    “Prof Omole is still innocent until the court proves otherwise. If they have enough evidence to show they can go ahead and invite anybody to instigate our VC. We shall be pleased with the outcome of the investigation of the anti-graft agencies.” he said

    Olarewaju described Prof Omole as an “incorruptible, upright and God fearing man, who operates the university with an open administration.”

  • Why Benue agric varsity was shut down-VC

    The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi( UAM) Professor Emmanuel  Kucha said the school was closed for 14 days to allow proper investigations into the killing of four students and a security guard in a private hostel .

    Unknown gunmen suspected to be rival cult members last Tuesday stormed a private student hostel within the university and killed four students and a security guard .

    The security guard was engaged by the private hostel owner.

    In an exclusive interview with The Nation, the Vice Chancellor said the university’s management has launched its own discreet investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killings, while the spokesman of Benue Police Command, Moses Yamu explained that the command was also investigating the killings.

    Professor Kucha said security within the university and private hostels will be strengthened to prevent another security breach .

    The Vice Chancellor dismissed claims by students that there was no ambulance to convey the wounded students to the hospital saying there are two patrol vans and ambulance in the university to convey the victims.

  • NANS honours Sokoto varsity VC

    The Vice Chancellor,  Sokoto State University, Prof Nuhu  Yaqub, has been honoured with the best Vice-Chancellor in Human Transformation by the National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS).

    A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Zayyanu Shehu, noted that Yaqub was presented with the award by NANS National Stakeholder, Mr Luka  Zuru.

    The students said the award was in recognition of Yaqub’s “selfless contribution towards purposeful leadership.”

    Zuru said other qualities that fetched the VC the honour included youth empowerment, social transformation and human development for the benefit of humanity.

    He said “We are aware of your tremendous achievements during your tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, among which were moving the university campus from Gwagwalada to its permanent site at Giri Village; creating additional faculties, which included Medicine, Engineering, Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture.”

    The NANS leader implored the VC not allow distraction to derail his work, but to see the award as a catalyst that would propel him to work harder for the development of the institution.

    Replying, Yaqub said he was overwhelmed by the honour and vowed never to relent in the struggle for justice, equity, and transparency.

    While pointing out that leadership did not mean confrontation or division of people; rather, unity and cohesion, the VC also lamented, “honours are nowadays being  bastardised, not awarded on credibility.”

     

  • ‘Don’t impose VC’

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has accused Governor Olusegun Mimiko of planning to impose a vice chancellor on the State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) in Okitipupa.

    The governor was accused of underfunding the institution, whereas he has sufficiently supported the Medical University in Ondo.

    APC’s Publicity Secretary Abayomi Adesanya said OSUSTECH established seven years ago can only boast of one faculty while the medical university established two years ago has seven faculties.

    Five people have been shortlisted by the selection board.

    Adesanya said: ‘It is clear to all, that the governor is orchestrating the appointment of another member of his family as the OSUSTECH VC, just as he did for the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko.”

  • VC eulogises book donor

    Vice Chancellor, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Prof Samuel Oye Bandele, has praised former Managing Director of the defunct Federal Mortgage Bank, Chief Samuel Falegan, for donating copies of his book, “My Yesteryears” to the institution.

    Bandele described Falegan, who turned 84 recently, as an incorruptible Nigerian worthy of emulation.

    Bandele said Chief Falegan was “a rare example” to this generation, and urged academics to emulate him by writing books that would be of value to the society.

    “Chief Falegan’s book is unique, well written, educative and supported with evidences,” he said.

    On his part, Chief Falegan said he donated the books to contribute to the growth of the institution. He explained that he was in the forefront of the struggle to establish the university’s engineering faculty – donating 20 tonnes of cement to the university at a time, but lamented that the cement was wasted.

    He however expressed gratitude that the Faculty was constructed on the spot where the cement congealed.

    Falegan promised that he would continue to play a positive role in the university and elsewhere.

     

  • Oshiomhole names VC for upgraded college

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has appointed Prof Edomwonyi Aduwa-Ogiegbaen as the Vice Chancellor of the Tayo Akpata University of Education, Ekiadolor.

    This is coming after the government approved the upgrade of the institution, formerly a college of education, into a university.

    Until his appointment, Aduwa-Ogiegbaen was the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Ekenwan Campus, Benin City.

    In a letter dated April 14, this year, the Governor said: “I wish to inform you that Edo State Government has approved the up-grading of the Edo State College of Education, Ekiadolor to a University of Education to be called Tayo Akpata University of Education, Ekiadolor.

    “I feel privileged to have the honour by virtue of the powers conferred on me as the Visitor by the enabling laws establishing the University to appoint you as the Vice Chancellor of the University with effect from April 18, 2016.

    “Given your resourcefulness, expertise, experience, global network and reach, I believe that the University would benefit enormously from your uncommon visionary leadership.”

    Aduwa-Ogiegbaen, a descendant of the Benin Royal Family is the Enogie (Duke) of Egaben/Ogbeson in Benin Kingdom. He has combined academics with the traditional administration of his Dukedom.

    He has over 40 publications in reputable national and international journals and is a member of the Nigerian Association of Educational Media & Technology (NAEMT); Curriculum Organisation of Nigeria (CON) and Association for Promoting Quality Education in Nigeria (APQEN).

  • Court stops selection of OAU VC

    Court stops selection of OAU VC

    •Workers disrupt candidates’ screening

    Who is  the next Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State?

    The question has been hanging for some time, following the indefinite suspension of the selection by the Governing Council.

    The suspension followed a workers’ protest on the campus last Thursday.  Besides, a court injunction stopped the council and the university Senate on Friday.

    It was secured by the institution’s chapters of Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), which opposed the process.

    The injunction ordered that the process be stopped until after the suit instituted by the workers’ unions on the legality of the process is determined.

    NASU and SSANU  are urging the court to compel the Federal Government to dissolve the council, among other prayers.

    The OAU management confirmed the suspension at the weekend, saying it was a normal thing to do “in a chaotic situation”.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abiodun Olanrewaju, said the management suspended the selection when protesters barricaded all gates to the Administrative Building, preventing movement in and out of the building.

    The tenure of Prof Bamitale Omole expires on June 24, but the process put in place to choose his successor has torn apart the stakeholders and pitted the university workers against the council and the outgoing VC.

    More than 38 professors within and outside OAU are jostling for the top job. The contenders were pruned to 11 during the preliminary screening by the search team, comprising members of the council and the Senate.

    Last month, five of the 11 candidates were screened out, paving the way for six contenders to compete for the position.

    The six shortlisted candidates are the Deputy VC for Academics, Prof Ayobami Salami, Prof Afolabi Akindaunsi from Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Prof Charles Akinyokun also from FUTA, Prof Olabisi Aina, Prof Eyitope Ogunbodede and Prof Anthony Akinlo.

    The shortlisted candidates were billed to appear before a selection committee for screening last Thursday, but the session was disrupted by the workers’ protest.

    It was gathered that the protesters moved to the institution’s Conference Centre, where the selection committee members reconvened to screen the candidates, and locked up the committee members.

    They remained at the screening venue till the midnight of Friday to ensure the event did not hold.

    On Friday morning, the workers marched on the council’s chairman and VC’s residences to register their grievances on the method taken by the council to choose the new VC.

    At the centre of their complaints are the accusation of non-compliance with OAU Statute 6 in the method of VC selection and the allegation of favouritism against the departing VC.

    According to Section 3A, B, C, D and E of the OAU Statute 6 and amended Statute 22 of Miscellaneous Decree 11 of 1993, the council is empowered, among others, to constitute a search team consisting of a member of council as the chairman, two members of the senate, and two members of congregation to nominate suitable persons to contest for Vice-Chancellor’s position.

    Section 3D of the OAU Statute 6 advises the council to select three candidates from among the contenders recommended to it by the joint selection board after screening and forward their names to the Visitor, which is the President.

    But, an amendment by Miscellaneous Decree 11 of 1993 empowers the council to complete the VC appointment process without the input of the Visitor, thereby rendering Section 3D and 3E of the OAU Statute 6 irrelevant.

    After the search team completed its task, the council led by Prof Rowland Ndoma-Egba, convened a meeting on March 10 where it adopted the nominees presented by the search team.

    The problem started when the council selected six of the 11 candidates presented before it and screened them, without constituting the joint selection committee as required by law.

    The council allegedly went out of the criteria advertised for eligibility and introduced a scoring method to evaluate the competence of the shortlisted candidates.

    It was learnt that the candidates were ranked based on years of teaching (five marks), international exposure (10 marks), number of journal publication (10 marks), fund attraction (10 marks), years of professorship (five marks), research supervision (five marks), and calibre of referees (five marks).

    The total score was 50 marks, but the awarded scores for each candidate were doubled to obtain percentage scores.

    The Nation gathered that pass mark was pegged at 60 per cent, but all the six candidates, it was learnt, scored above the pass mark.

    The unions held that the council usurped the responsibility of the joint selection board to screen the candidates.

    They accused Prof Omole of influencing the outcome of the screening conducted by the council, saying the outgoing VC had a favourite among the candidates.

    A statement jointly issued by NASU and SSANU said: “The responsibility of the council in drawing up shortlist of suitable candidates for the post for consideration, as stipulated in Statute 6, Section 3, should be solely based on whether or not the applicants met the advertised eligibility criteria.

    “By rushing to score and rank applicants prior to the constitution of the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board, which is statutorily responsible to perform these duties, the council has unlawfully usurped and hijacked the statutory responsibility of the Board and rendered its purpose and functions irrelevant.”

    The unions urged President Muhammadu Buhari to dissolve the Ndoma-Egba-led council and re-constitute a new council that would work with workers in appointing a “credible and competent” person to succeed Omole.

    Olanrewaju denied that the council violated the extant laws of the university, saying the selection method complied with the statutory provisions guiding the selection of VC. Asked whether the council was right to bypass the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board to screen and rank the candidates, the PRO simply said: “The Council is the highest ruling body of the school and there is nothing wrong with the position of the council on the matter.”

    On the allegation of favouritism levelled against the outgoing VC, Olanrewaju said: “Prof Omole does not have such agenda and has not said it anywhere, either secretly or openly, that a particular candidate should succeed him.

    “The outgoing VC has been running an open and transparent administration. If some people feel aggrieved with the method taken by the council to pick the new VC, they should come forward for a roundtable discussion on the way to resolve the issues. This is the best way to move forward.

    “The members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), NASU, SSANU together with students and alumni association are all stakeholders in the affairs of the school. We do not expect any of the groups to want to see to the downfall of the university as one of the best in Africa. What is happening is a family affair; we will settle our differences in a family way.”

    However, a top member of the Senate, who spoke to The Nation on the condition of anonymity, said the council was wrong in its method.

    He said the council did not comply fully with the OAU Statute, noting that it erred against the law to have screened and ranked the candidates before the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board.

    A lecturer accused the outgoing VC of having a favourite candidate, saying the management did not learn a  lesson from the controversy generated by similar scenario, which played out during the tenure of Prof Wale Omole, a former VC.

    The NASU Chairman, Comrade Wole Odewumi, threatened a “total showdown” if the council goes ahead to pick the next VC against the court order.

    He said the only condition for peace was for the council to start the process afresh.