Photeo Credit: tribuneonlineng.com
The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) has appealed to the Federal Government and the University of Ibadan Academic Community to support the appointment of Ibadan indigenes who can take the institution to a world-class level as the next Vice Chancellor of the University.
The Council’s President General, Chief Adeyemi Soladoye, who made this request at a press conference on Sunday, August 2nd expressed his displeasure at the seemingly marginalisation of Ibadan indigenes on Ibadan land as none had assumed the position of the University’s Vice Chancellor.
He said the neglect of Ibadan Indigenes as UI VC since its existence in 1948 cannot be attributed to the “absence of qualified Ibadan indigenes within the U.I system or in the academic circle of Nigeria to occupy the coveted seat of the Vice-Chancellor of the U.I.”
Out of the ten known aspirants vying for the office of the University’s Vice Chancellor, four of them are Ibadan indigenes. They include: Prof Kayode Adebowale, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof Remi Raji, Former Dean Faculty of Arts, Prof Emiola Olopade-Olopa, Former Provost, College of Medicine and Prof Kolapo Hamzat, the University’s Orator.
Chief Soladoye also added that as much as the Council wants any of the four as the next UI VC, it has endorsed none of them.
“It is important that we advise decision-makers in this race to be wary of Compus Political Jobbers as we hereby confirm that 1) all the four (4) candidates are bonafide Ibadan indigenes and 2) the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) or the Olubadan of Ibadanland has no anointed candidate out of the four (4) of them,” he said.
The tenure of the current UI VC, Prof Idowu Olayinka expires in November and there is a stiff competition among the aspirants to occupy the position as the election draws near.
