By Nwanegbo Vincent
The recent developments in the Vice Chancellorship selection process in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka calls for a serious concern in the academic community and the academia across Nigeria.
Unlike what is the normal in a saner climes, Vice Chancellorship selection is advertised beyond the shores of the University with the advert stating the conditions that will guarantee the emergence of the best candidate that will pilot the affairs of the University within the stipulated tenure.
Scholars around the world are invited to submit applications in order to give room for the best candidate to emerge. However, recent developments have shown that the advertisements by most universities in South Eastern Nigeria are just in fulfilment of the process as most University Governing Councils have always pinned down their choice on a particular candidate irrespective of the person’s performance in the selection process. Such is the unfolding situation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka in Anambra State, where a candidate alleged not to have met the criteria for appointment into the Office of the Vice Chancellor was chosen for the exalted position by the Council because the candidate had already been anointed by the political class for the position.
Prof Bernard Odo who was contentiously announced the VC of UNIZIK by the Greg Mbadiwe led Council, as we gathered, was an Associate Professor at the time he was appointed the Vice Chancellor of the University and one would begin to imagine how on earth such a rascally behavior was allowed to stand.
Before his appointment, it was gathered that Prof Odoh was going about bragging that he had been anointed by the powers that be as the next VC of the University, even when it was obvious that he did not meet the criteria outlined in the advertorial for the VCship selection. One would ask how the Ivory Tower degenerated to this point.
As if that was not enough, a similar scenario is being believed to play out in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as speculations are rife that one Professor Bond Anyehie has also been tipped by the political forces to take over the leadership of UNN.
Prof Anyehie is a Lecturer in the College of Medicine, Ituku Ozala Enugu Campus of the University of Nigeria Nsukka but at the moment serving as the Provost College of Medicine at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, (FUTO).
Prof Anyehie is not making pretences about it, as he has been going about telling the entire University and those who care to know that the University of Nigeria Nsukka Governing Council has been instructed by some powerful political forces in the South East to crown him the VC of the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
However, people are wondering if someone in the person of General Ike Nwachukwu who is the current Council Chairman of the University, who prior to his appointment was a seasoned Administrator with a name to protect would allow himself to be dragged into the kind of mess presently being witnessed at UNIZIK.
Many scholars in UNN are saying that they know the Council Chairman as a fair and honest man who would allow due process to prevail in the selection and appointment process, rather than carrying out a kangaroo selection process that will anoint Professor Bond Anyehie as we saw in UNIZIK.
Professor Bond Anyehie is bent on rubbishing the integrity of members of the Council with name dropping. There is no doubt that Prof Anyaehie has the legal right to contest for the VCship of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka like every other Scholars. However going about and telling the entire world that the Council has been mandated to make him the VC is not a good way to go about it. Such an action to say the least, calls to disrepute the integrity and image of the Council. If at the end of the day it so happened as he has been boasting, it then means that the University system in the South East will be a laughing stock of the academic society.
The University community appears to be overwhelmed by what is happening in UNIZIK at the moment.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and all lovers of education in Nigeria and the diaspora should resist the imposition of unqualified and inexperienced candidates for the position of Vice Chancellorship of any University so as to save the already battered Nigerian educational system.
The Governing Council of the UNN has been doing wonderfully well by following the guidelines set by the Federal Ministry of Education by not replicating the controversial approach at play in UNIZIK
The Chairman of Council of the UNN has shown so much wisdom and should be encouraged to continue in that trajectory.
Nwanegbo Vincent Writes from Abuja
(rawmatng@yahoo.com)