CSO Group on Education Tips Prof. Aisha Mekudi for UniAbuja VC, Asks Security Agents to Investigate Attempts to Cause Chaos »

The Civil Society Coalition for Educational Development has issued a report urging the urgent appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for the University of Abuja, following recent protests and tensions surrounding the selection process. The coalition, which comprises 25 members, expresses deep disappointment over what it describes as an absurd and chaotic selection process that has marred the institution’s leadership transition.

In their statement signed by Dr. Wisdom Ohalete Chinedu, the coalition reflects on past episodes of leadership crises within the university, noting that similar disturbances occurred during the appointments of former Vice Chancellors Prof. Adelabu and Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah. They argue that political interests among faculty have consistently undermined a transparent and fair selection process.

The coalition specifically condemns recent protests by some university professors against the appointment of Prof. Aisha Maikudi, the acting Vice Chancellor. They allege that these protests were orchestrated by vested interests resistant to change, rather than genuine concerns regarding her qualifications. The group claims that the dissenting voices are motivated by a political agenda aimed at discrediting Maikudi, who is a woman, a youth, and a northerner.

“It is preposterous to witness professors engage in such demeaning behavior just to satisfy certain factions that believe they have exclusive rights over the academic leadership,” the coalition stated. They called for accountability and consequences for those inciting chaos within the university community.

The coalition rebuffs allegations that the selection committee was bias.

“Claim that southerners were not included in the selecting committee was untrue and a desperate attempt to discredit the process, acting the script of their sponsors.

“The council members from the South West and South East are acting a script and this must be clearly spelt out. Their grouse is that they were given assignments that would prevent them from serving on the selection board.
‘’Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye and Mrs. Chisom Dorcas Obih have no right, as Council members of the university to decide which assignment suits them, unless they have interests they are yet to tell the academic community and indeed Nigerians.

“Again, how many times have professors staged a protest against the appointment of another professor as VC? Why was the appointment of Professor Aisha Mekudi as Deputy Vice Chancellor not challenged if qualification is indeed the issue? Why was her appointment as the Acting Vice Chancellor not challenged or is the qualification for acting VC different?Why is it now that a productive younger female professor is involved that her colleagues have remembered that they have a protesting skill to display. This is pettiness taken too far as stakeholders in this sector, we must urge the Honourable Minister of Education not to bow to pressure from these anti-development quarters.

“We find the qualification allegation very strange, unbelievable and distracting. This is so because Prof Aisha Mekudi has served meritoriously as a Deputy Vice Chancellor, a position that has almost equal qualifications as Vice Chancellor yet not challenged by anyone then, the same person here is also the current Acting Vice Chancellor, it is therefore baffling that same person who is a sitting Vice Chancellor in acting capacity could suddenly become unqualified for a position she’s still holding.

“Reading on the news that a certain person who has been a professor for 16 years and a woman at that was among those raising dust on issues of marginalization is most unfortunate. For her, a younger, more agile and creative professor should not sit as the Vice Chancellor while she is there.

“We also hold that there is no law restricting job-seekers from being interviewed on holidays. Their argument that the process of inauguration of selection committee and schedule of interview is rushed does not hold water as every stakeholder involved has been duly notified on dates for each activities, according to our findings.”

The CSO demanded that President Bola Tinubu through the honorable Minister of Education wade into the ensuing crisis and give needed protection for the acting Vice Chancellor who they say is a victim of ethnic gangup, political orchestration and desperate power mongers in the University of Abuja, to stop those who are desperately attempting to ridicule his efforts in getting youths and women involved in leadership, maintaining that women have so much to offer in raising the bar of national development.

They also called on the Nigeria Police to invite trouble makers as espoused in their petition to the force to serve as deterrent to others. The group demanded that the Minister after announcing Prof Aisha Mekudi as recommended by them, should set up a truth and reconciliation panel for post VC tussle era.