LASU VC race: The untold story

TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE reveals the untold story concerning the lingering crisis trailing the appointment of a new vice chancellor for the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.

Before now and for many years, Lagos State University (LASU) has been known as a crisis-ridden university. If the university was not enmeshed with a staff union crisis, it would be that of the students and so forth.

To say the least is that the university is also usually faced with crisis during the appointment of a new vice chancellor.

The tenure of the Late Professor Fatiu Ademola Akesode (1997-2001), a pediatrician of note, readily comes to mind in this regard. That was during the tenure of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the governor of the state.

The announcement of Professor Akesode’s reappointment for the second term on the premise that he had done well in his first term, according to the then visitor to the university, was met with stiff criticism and condemnation from some professors within the system on the ground that the reappointment, according to them, did not follow due process.

This criticism was not taken lightly by the government as six professors were sacked from the service of the university for the roles they played in the crisis.

Another example was during Professor Lateef Hussein, when the protracted crisis led to his removal and Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, who was then the deputy vice chancellor, was brought in on January, 2011, as an acting vice chancellor.

But then, that appointment of a new vice chancellor is being trailed by crisis in Nigeria is not peculiar to LASU.  The University of Ibadan is still grappling with its own. The University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, has just resolved it, while the University of Jos is another recent example, among others.

At LASU, however, the university has been thrown into crisis since the tenure of the immediate past vice chancellor, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, was about to end.

A successor was expected to have been named before he left the office on January 11, but an acting vice chancellor, Professor Oyindamola Oke, was appointed instead.

The selection process was trailed with barrage of complaints from many quarters in and outside the university community.  This was what culminated into the cancellation of the initial selection process by the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who subsequently ordered for a fresh process that is yet to be concluded. The lingering crisis prompted him to opt for a special visitation panel to help out.

The panel members, no doubt, are known to be people of high integrity in the society. They comprised former vice chancellors, seasoned administrators, technocrats and top public servants and with the pro chancellor of the Ekiti State University and former vice chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Bamitale Omole, as the chairman.

Other members are; former vice chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Joseph Ajienka; a renowned don, Professor Ayo Olukotun; former registrar of University of Ibadan, Olujimi Olukoya, former Lagos state solicitor-general and permanent secretary, Ministry of Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN) and a Level-17 officer in the Office of the Special Adviser on Education, Funmilola Olajide, who serves as the secretary of the panel.

According to findings, Sanwo-Olu wouldn’t want to make mistakes. Sources close to him told Nigerian Tribune that the governor quite understands that he must pick a performer.

This position showed in his tone while inaugurating the panel last month, charging them to discharge their responsibilities with fairness, firmness and forthrightness.

“That is to show that the governor wants a flawless process to produce the next substantive vice chancellor for LASU,” an inside source added.

Now, all eyes are on the panel. Both members of the university community and outsiders are on the lookout for the outcome as to who eventually becomes the next LASU VC.

They believe that the immediate past vice chancellor, Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, just as governor Sanwo-Olu had acknowledged many occasions, had set a clear path for the university to follow so as to continue to move up on the progressive ladder among world universities.

Olanrewaju, a professor of Environmental Law brought the university from obscurity into limelight within five years of his tenure.

LASU, which was once dubbed as a glorified secondary school is today the second best university in Nigeria. The University of Ibadan is the only one ahead of it according to the reputable ‘Times Higher Education World Universities Ranking’ in its latest report. Nigeria currently has a total of 170 universities both public and private.

So, many interests within and outside the university up to the seat of the state government and among politicians have shown interest secretly or openly on who the cap fits.

Some are clamouring for the person, who must also be an indigene of the state to become the next vice chancellor while some are considering other factors including influence in the society.

The various staff unions in the system, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), Senior Staff Union of the Universities (SSANU), Liberators(a group of professors) and so forth plus the Students’ Union Government, have all shown interest on who becomes the next vice chancellor.  They all want the university to settle for the best among the contenders as it appeared on the list to the number one seat. They did this through their leadership in separate interviews with Nigerian Tribune.

Interestingly, six names kept appearing among the eight finalists in both the botched and the current lists of contenders.

According to checks, they include Professor Senapon Bakre, who is a former deputy vice chancellor of the university; Professor Kabir Akinyemi, former chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities of branch and later Dean of Students Affairs; Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya, director of Research and Innovation Management of the university and Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, former acting vice chancellor of the university.

Others are Professor Muyiwa Awofolu from Namibian University of Science and Technology; and Professor Adewale Noah, former deputy vice chancellor of the university.

Meanwhile, Professor Biodun Adewuya, current acting provost of the university’s College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and Professor Wahab Elias, current deputy vice chancellor of the university are both new entrants in the race.

But among the contenders, impeccable sources told Nigerian Tribune that Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya, a former provost of LASUCOM and an indigene of Lagos State from Epe came first in both the first and second selection processes. He defeated his rival twice.

Professor Mohammed Taofeek Olalekan Ibrahim, who is a former vice  chancellor of Alhikma University, Ilorin and staff of Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, and a medical doctor, also from Epe is the second best on the list. Interestingly, he was not part of the original contenders whose selection process was cancelled.  The third person on the list and who is the current acting provost of LASUCOM, Professor Abiodun Adewuya is said not to be an indigene of Lagos State, a silent but important factor in the appointment of a vice chancellor for the state-owned university.

The governor has the right to choose anyone among the three. But while he is being very meticulous about his choice, Nigerian Tribune gathered that some top state government functionaries and politicians are at his neck, particularly as to why the selection committee had to edge out their preferred candidates from the race.

Now, the visitation panel has already commenced sitting on Friday, April 16, to review all the submitted memoranda from the stakeholders to help them in their assignment. They have only two weeks to complete and submit their findings and recommendations to the governor for the final decision that is expected to lay the matter to permanent rest.

Though, the governor has the right to abide or reject the committee’s report and even order for a fresh process, time will tell who the next LASU VC is.

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