By Adesina Wahab
TWICE the Governing Council/Senate Selection Committee of the Lagos State University, LASU, conducted screening exercise for the appointment of the ninth substantive Vice-Chancellor of the institution, twice the Visitor, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, rejected their recommendations. Incidentally, twice also the committee rated Prof. Olumuyiwa Odusanya, as the top performer in the screening exercise, and twice he has been unfortunate not to be named the VC of his beloved university.
When the tenure of the immediate past VC, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, was coming to an end, as usual, the Selection Committee, headed by the Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo, rolled out the advert calling on interested persons to apply for the post of the VC of the university. Many people applied and the committee eventually made its recommendations to the governor.
However, the issue of equating the fellowship of professional bodies with having a doctorate degree became the major plank on which critics faulted the first exercise. Odusanya is a medical doctor and does not have a PhD.
His traducers were quick to point to the comment by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Rasheed Abubakar, a former VC of Bayero University, Kano, that being a fellow of a body does not equate with having a PhD. Though there is no statutory instrument to back the claim, the fear that as the regulatory body of universities in Nigeria, going against this could pit the university against the NUC is making some people to want to follow Abubakar’s assertion.
Remember that the NUC accredits courses run by universities in the country.
When Sanwo-Olu cancelled the first exercise and Prof. Oyedamola Oke was elected by the Senate of the university as the acting VC, a marching order to do another selection process within 45 days was given the committee.
Loopholes noticed in the second exercise
To those opposed to the manner the selection process was going, the first loophole they pointed out was the manner the advert calling for applications was couched – the advert said having a doctorate degree or being a fellow of a professional body would suffice. Pronto, the critics went to work saying the committee was bent on choosing some candidates.
But those in support of the advert said it was not…
