Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Federal Government may announce the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for the University of Ibadan (UI) before the end of this month, Nigerian Tribune authoritatively gathered.
A credible source informed our correspondent that the arrangement had already been concluded to announce the name of the new VC soon.
This was even as the chairman, board of West African Examination Council (WAEC), Professor Pai Obanya tasked whoever emerges as the new vice-chancellor of the premier university to adopt a teamwork approach in the running of the institution.
Obanya, an emeritus professor gave the charge shortly after a programme tagged “The Voice of the Next UI VC organised by UI community, consisting of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities (NASU) and Students’ Union Government (SUG), University of Ibadan chapters.
At the programme, some of the professors aspiring to the VC position showcased their blueprints for the management and development of the institution.
Speaking during an interview with the Tribune Online, Obanya, who was the chairman at the occasion said anybody that eventually get appointed as VC should not adopt winners take all approach by carrying everybody along.
According to him, “from my experience, having led more complex organisations, you don’t listen to gossips. Take everyone as a friend and when you take people into confidence and respect them, the more they see you, the more they appreciate your values.”
“Don’t put yourself in a cacoon where nobody sees you. You should not form opinions based on what you have been told about any individual. In the academic community, people think arguments are the only thing that works. But, if you can talk and cannot work your talks, it becomes a problem.”
“Inspite of their promises, I want to advise that whoever becomes the Vice-Chancellor should take time to learn the rudiments and how things are when he assumes duty so that you can mobilise your ideas to do things. This is because you may be doing the right thing according to your thinking only to discover that the environment does not enable it.”
“It is good to make these promises, but it is also good to set up a mechanism for learning how people do their things. You will still implement your ideas, but it will be in consonance with the ways things work because there is always entrenched culture on the workability of ideas in specific environment, “Obanya remarked.
Some of the VC aspirants that participated in the programme include Professor Ganiyu Adesola Aderounmu, Professor Ebenezer Farombi of Biochemistry. Professor Hakeem Babatunde Faweyinmi of the University of Port Harcourt, Professor Rasaq Olatunde Kalilu of the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology. Professor Adeyinka Aderinto and Professor Babatunde Salako Ekanola and Professor Kayode Adebowale, who joined the programme virtually.
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