By Austin Ogwuda
ANOTHER pressure group which styled itself as ‘Academic Fairness and Against Injustice’ has called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State to intervene and stop an alleged attempt by the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, Nigeria, Professor Andy Egwunyenga to shut out eligible and qualified candidates vying for the VC position.
The group, which is the second group to question the integrity of the selection process, warned that that the University might be heading to witness crisis due to litigations if the proper thing is not followed.
In a statement signed by the Group’s Director, Mr Julius O. Chukwumeka and made available to newsmen allegedly accused the VC of bending existing Laws in the School to impose a stooge as VC when he bows out in no distance time.
The group is insisting that there is no law stipulating that only people with Ph.D should apply for VC in the School.
It stated that “a University Senate by the Act of establishment is empowered to act or deliberate upon educational matters and regulations of the academic community. The Senate decisions in such matters are binding upon all Faculties unless overruled by the Governing Council or Visitor to the University or its action declared null and void by the Court of Law, adding that in Delta State University, Abraka, it is more or less the half-blind leading the blind members of the Senate and important issues are not deliberated upon..
“The call by the Integrity Academic Bombers became necessary following the outcry by Lecturers, particularly Professors in Clinical Sciences, that the VC and his cohorts in Council must have misled Council to introduce extraneous conditions contrary to the Law establishing the University and the practice over the years.
“The aim is to exclude the Professors of Clinical Sciences from being qualified to apply for the VC position. But the VC came out to assure staff, quoting him that “there was no plan as claimed by the group to exclude anyone from joining the race to become VC of DELSU”. The University Community knew that he was clever by half…
“These Lecturers are aware that he had long planned with his cronies to manipulate the system including Council in such a way as to shut out many other strong and qualified candidates. The purpose is to make room for his academically lazy, unscholarly and questionable avowed friends only to compete for the position. But not too long, the maradona VC has revealed his true intentions and chameleonic nature.
“The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Andy Egwunyenga called an emergency meeting of Senate for Monday, 24th June, 2024, after giving only three days notice, instead of the Mandatory Seven days required by the University tradition.
“The main purpose”, the statement went on, “is to elect Two (2) members to the Council-Senate Selection Committee for the interview and recommendation of three candidates to the Visitor (Governor). With an air of almighty conqueror, he declared against all known rules and regulations and Extant Laws of the University that Professors in Clinical Sciences and Dentistry with Fellowship but without a PhD were not qualified to nominate any person, be nominated or cast a vote for or be voted for a senator for the Council-Senate Selection Committee. His blind argument was that there is no qualification equivalent to the PhD and only PhD holders who are Professors can be in such a Committee to interview Professors for the DELSU VC position.
“The perplexed but defeated over 200 members of the Senate kept quiet. It was a question of how power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The oracle has spoken and no one dares to challenge the “god” or “oracle”. The only one person who dared to speak was shouted down several times and told that he was being ruled out of order. By his singular, dictatorial proclamation, the VC denied this critical mass the right to vote; a ground for possible litigation”, said the group.
It further added that “in all Universities, the most common criteria for the appointment of Vice Chancellor is preeminence in scholarship. For instance, in the early 2000s, The Commonwealth Higher Education Service (CHEMS) surveyed 144 top Indian Universities along with other foreign Universities.
“After analyzing the data, the team came to the irrevocable conclusion that for the Appointment of Vice Chancellors: Rules, Procedures and Intentions, the VC who is the Leader of a University as per the norm: Should be an eminent academician, in addition to someone who has high moral statute; a Professor who is an internationally acclaimed scholar.
“It is not PhD, it is beyond PhD. Even University of Oxford which is Ranked Number 1 in the World University Rankings by Times Higher Education (THE) did not stipulate PhD in the specific profile of the person required to be appointed the President and Vice Chancellor of the University. On page 6 of the booklet titled University of Oxford: Appointment of the Vice – Chancellor States the Person specifications as follows: The candidate should demonstrate academic credibility and intellectual rigour. A deep personal commitment to the power of education and research to transform opportunity and to the value of Universities within society, etc”, the group stated.
*Credit source of the story to – Congress Newspaper