OAU VC: Ife People Ask President Buhari, Minister Of Education To Probe Selection Processes

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OAU Ile Ife


*says it was fraudulent
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan


The people of Ile Ife on Thursday called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu and other well meaning Nigerians to order investigations into the recent selection of a new Vice Chancellor for Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
Addressing a press conference in Ile Ife through the President of Ife Action Council, Dr Gbolade Famoriyo, the people of Ife demanded immediate cancellation of the selection process that led to the appointment of Professor Adebayo Banire as the new Vice Chancellor.
According to Dr. Famoriyo, the processes was allegedly marred with irregularities, saying, ” there is a corrupt manipulation of the vital process of scoring and assessing aspirants to the VC position by the Chairman of the Governing Council, Owelle Oscar Udoji, with the apparent connivance of other members of the Selection Committee.”
Ife Action Council emphasized at the press conference that the investigations of the process became imperative ” for justice to prevail and the peaceful co-existence between the university and Ife community to be restored” 
” This aberration in our cherished university procedure of choosing OAU VC must be condemned. OAU is for cherished university cultural values and excellence but as mediocrity and ineptitude are being injected in its selection processes and about to be institutionalized, we all have a moral obligation to REJECT it and SPEAK OUT”, he said.
Dr Famoriyo added, ” the scoring criteria used in this exercise is a manipulated and shameful scale and a disgraceful negation of standard assessment and evaluation processes. Check and compare the standard procedure and processes used in the 2017 exercise”. 
” Why was that scoring criteria not used this time around? This evil practice, processes and procedure MUST BE INVESTIGATED. The scoring criteria should have accompanied the advertisement. This will help applicants know their potential before venturing out. The deliberate “innovative” practice of fixing scoring criteria after the candidates have applied is programmed to promote abuse.”
The Ife Action Council President maintained, ” the procedure and processes were also designed to promote favoritism and to compromise merit, transparency and integrity. It is like changing the goal post after the match has started. Does one prepare for an exam without a syllabus?
” We have a right to know the scoring criteria .In this current exercise, candidates who served two terms at a post (e.g. Dean, Head of Department, Deputy Vice- Chancellor) were awarded double marks. This is a complete negation of theories and principles of assessment and evaluation.The post of DVC is a highly political one. This interview panel awarded 6 marks for that post and doubled it for serving 2 terms. It is true the position is “contested” for but the current practice in OAU is a SHAM. The VC brings two names to the Senate for election. One of the professors is usually unknown referred to as a Dummy. No doubt this Council has adopted the flawed and corrupt political template to carry out this selection process.
” Now that we have superb and qualified candidates that contested the post, the university management came up with a fraudulent selection process to deny them. What is our offence?There is a corrupt manipulation of the vital process of scoring and assessing aspirants to the VC position by the Chairman of the Governing Council, Owelle Oscar Udoji, with the apparent connivance of other members of the Selection Committee.”
Dr Famoriyo added, ” the Council also betrayed the confidence reposed in them by not crying out even though they were not given the opportunity to have a say in the process.The secrecy surrounding the exercise is highly suspicious.”
He alleged that ” there was oath administered on the members of Selection Committee, before the interviews were conducted and after, and during the process of coupling the results. The report of the selection committee to the Council was slated for 2pm while the announcement of the reports to the public was slated for 3pm of the same Thursday 17th March, 2022.” 
“Was the report expected to be automatically approved by the Council?Besides, the tradition in the academia is to frontload reports before consideration. Why were the Council members not given the reports at least 24 hours before the meeting in accordance with academic and administrative practice? On entering the meeting and after necessary protocols, members were given palmtops containing the purported selection reports. They were allowed to hold the palmtops for about ten minutes, after which the so-called reports were approved. Why will the university withdraw the palmtops from members? Is it that the Chairman does not trust members? What is it that must be so guided in a public document? 
Where is it in our academic practice is OATH OF SECRECY agreement from committee members? If the process was very transparent why can’t the results be made known to all after the end of the interview? A manipulated table of result is currently going round – what is the source and how were the scores generated? How authentic therefore is this table? In the absence of convincing official explanation of the genesis of the “scores” tabled out fertile rumors will abound. 
He stressed, ” in view of the above, the entire citizens of Ife home and abroad are appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu and the well meaning Nigerians to come to our rescue and look into the solution process in order for justice to prevail and the peaceful co-existence between the university and Ife community to be restored” 

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