BY AKINROPO OLUFEMI
“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong – *Abraham Lincoln*.”
Barring an unanticipated conjuncture even a psychic cannot envisage, inevitably, FUOYE would have been bequeathed another Vice-Chancellor in the next revolution (365 days).
Just like his predecessors, the present Vice-Chancellor, professor Abayomi Fasina, has done his own bit within his ethereal puissance. He might not be loved by a lot of staff in the University, many of whom are naturally resentful in nature. Nevertheless, his all-inclusive and irrefutable achievements ever since he came on board as the Vice-Chancellor in 2021, are vividly translucent and highly perceptible for all to behold regardless of the criteria his critics might intend to use as a delineating factor for appraisal. His successors are undoubtedly going to intensity their resolutions, and also work laboriously before they can imitate, let alone surpass his landmark achievements. He has written his name in gold, an extraordinary and historic triumph which will never be forgotten in the chronological phylogeny of the institution. His legacies have already been engraved, and will continue to resonate in decades to come.
Even before the University’s Governing Council set up a preliminary committee to draft the advertisement for the position of Vice-Chancellor at the last statutory meeting held few weeks ago, there had already been some ridiculous permutations from some quarters, many of which are totally mischievous and asinine to hearing to say the least. Sadly, majority of the foremost protagonists instigating such treacherous permutations dont know the processes involved in the selection of a Vice-Chancellor, as well as the level of scrutiny eligible candidates must undergo before an overall winner would emerge. To many individuals whose sense of humor and reasoning have been blighted with tribalism and indigenous alliance, it is a fundamental right and a sacrosanctity for their annointed candidate to emerge victorious regardless of whatever yardstick(s) the Governing Council earmarks/adopts for the selection process.
To set the record straight, a federal university is one that is established, possessed and guarded strictly by the federal government. Hence, a federal university belongs to every stakeholder in the university, and in equal proportion. Therefore, it is no surprising, as clearly elucidated in the “University Act, 1976″, and also as amended in the ” University of Nigeria Act, 2004 “, that, a federal university must always reflect ” Federal Character Principle of Fairness and Equity in the distribution of Public Posts”. Consequently, ranging from recruitment of staff to admission of students, and also to appointments of principal officers, the elements of Federal Character must always be adhered strictly to by the constituted authorities.
And that takes me to the ” Principle of Egalitarianism” because I had always seen a federal university as a micro-egalitarian society. “Modern Egalitarian Principle” particularly emphasizes that, all people are equal and deserve equal treatment in all things. It is premised on human equality in a society irrespective of any form of affiliation (tribe or religion), or disparity in social and/or financial statuses. Ronald W. Pierce explicitly expounded in his book titled : ” Discovering Biblical Equality : Complementarity Without Hierarchy “, that, the human race must embrace egalitarianism, and even womanhood shouldn’t be disenfranchised when it comes to holding social positions. He further highlighted that, complementarity of sexes (both male and female) in a society is just as important as the equality of all men no matter the disparity in whatever factor anyone wants to use for evaluation.
If the above analogies are among the sacramental tenets a federal university must uphold, and to the zenith, then, why should some sections of people obstinately key into a rather otiose expedition by pledging an unflinching allegiance to some prospective candidates simply because they (candidates) are their are kinsmen? In any political calculation, there’s always a favored candidate fancied by many. I have no issues with that. Afterall, we are all humans, and we are dispassionately obligated to exhibit bias occasionally. But, must they (supporters) see the Vice-Chancellorship position of a federal university as birthright? Or, was it written anywhere in the University Act that, Vice-Chancellorship position is in similitude with crop rotation?. Hence, just as farmers know the exact year a crop would be planted on a piece of land, supporters and stakeholders are also aware of the cognisance of the year a particular tribe or indigene must become Vice-Chancellor?.
The terms and conditions for eligibility are often clearly spelt out for prospective candidates during the selection of a Vice-Chancellor. A professor whose state of origin is Lagos, and he’s eligible to contest for the VCship position in FUOYE, must be accorded a level-playing ground with a professor from Abia. All eligible professors in the entire 36 states in FUOYE should be given an egalitarian platform to contest. It is neither a family affair nor a selection of a potential king – where it is restricted to just 3 or 4 individuals from a particular family, and just anyone cannot afford to contest indiscriminately.
While some of these malicious agendas being perpetrated by some unscrupulous elements in some caucuses to ensure a particular candidate emerge victorious against all odds haven’t been pushed to the public for all to have a glimpse, there had been some perturbing events which unfolded recently, many of which continue to tilt towards such agendas. In the last few months, FUOYE has been engrossed with a plethora of heinous crises and avoidable ruckuses. It culminated in birthing a ferocious environment, an evidentiary nightmare for all the stakeholders in the University. While those cataclysmic schemes intended to turn the University to a permanent armageddon were ongoing, though not established, keen observers suggested that, those crises might as well have been fueled and aggravated as a result of the battle for the next Vice-Chancellorship position of the institution. From all indications, it is likely that some individuals in the institution have amalgamated to perfidious-ly usurp the role of the Governing Council by trying to navigate a way for their anointed candidate through the back door by instigating chaos and instability in the system.
It is important to note that, only the Governing Council of a University is saddled with the responsibility of championing the selection of a Vice-Chancellor. The present Council led by senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has proven to be well-experienced, principled and transparent enough to anchor the proceedings without any hitch. So far, the Council has proven it cannot be intimidated or cowed into submission through coercion, scandal, or any social media shenanigan. While it is imperative to note that, there is nothing wrong for a stakeholder or a staff to give a moral support to his/her candidate during the VCship contest, no one is obliged to publicly galvanize any form of support that is capable of truncating the proceedings – either via blackmailing the Council and/or toeing a path of “do-or-die”.
” I shall pass this way but once ; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being ; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again – Etienne De Grellet.”. In the next 365 days, the present Vice-Chancellor, professor Abayomi Fasina, would have passed this way but once and would have finished all the good works the Almighty God consecrated him to do. He will never pass this way again. But, shouldn’t his successor also emerge victorious without indigenous affiliations just as he (Fasina) did? . Fasina outclassed all his contemporaries and competitors during the contest in 2020/2021 and emerged victorious based on merit and competence. He never banked on any indigenous affiliation. Even by the time he relinquishes his position as the Vice-Chancellor in the next 1 year, his indelible marks would always ensure FUOYE will never remain the same, and for the positive reasons.
Anywhere in the world, candidates who emerge victorious as a result of competence and merit rather than sentiments, have always proven to be a masterpiece. Fasina has proven rightly so ; his successor must belong in that realm also.
(Akinropo Olufemi works at Federal University Oye-Ekiti. He is a writer, poet and political satirist)
