Ilorin Emirate Youths owes Egbewole’s appointment as UNILORIN Vice Chancellor

A leading socio-cultural group in Ilorin, The Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association (IEYDA), has announced the appointment of Prof. Wahab Egbewole, SAN criticized as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, UNILORIN.

The group disclosed this in a statement obtained by Sho Pen Online on Friday.

According to the statement, the group expressed displeasure over Egbewole’s appointment and noted that the decision by the Governing Council of the University to come to his choice violated the usual rules of existing procedures for appointing anyone to the elevated position.

The Declaration reads in full; “COMMUNICATION ISSUED AT THE END OF THE MEETING OF MEMBERS OF IEYDA ON THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW VICE-CHANCELLOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN, PROFESSOR ABDUL-WAHAB EGBEWOLE.
THE MEETING HELD TODAY, FRIDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 2022.

Ilorin Emirate Youth Development Association welcomes you to this press briefing.

This press briefing becomes imperative to express displeasure over the recent appointment of the eleventh Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulwahab Olasupo Egbewole by the Governing Council of the institution.

It is in the public domain that the post of Vice-Chancellor was advertised by the University a few months ago to attract the interests of suitably qualified candidates from within and outside the country.

Twenty-nine applications were finally received as set by the Governing Board.

Thirteen candidates, including six Indigenous residents, who met the stated requirements and other conditions, were shortlisted.

At the end of the exercise, proclaimed by the Governing Council of the University, Professor Abdul-Wahab Egbewole, an indigene of Osun State was announced as the eleventh Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin by the Chairman, Governing Council, Habidu Yesid.

The primary concern of the Ilorin Emirate Youth Association over the entire process was the modalities and procedures adopted by the Governing Council without preferential consideration to the host community as practiced in other climes within the same system based on academic pedigree, ability and marksmanship. .

IEYDA wonders why the six indigenes of Kwara State, who are considered the first graded part of the host community, were deliberately scheduled out of the position by the governing board of the institution.

Unfortunately, the final decision by the Governing Council of the University to arrive at his choice violated the usual rules of existing procedures for appointing anyone to the elevated position.

It was a wrong signal that no one among the shortlisted candidates from the host community was qualified as the Vice-Chancellor regardless of their individual rich academic profile and other related qualities.

It is pertinent to state here that the announcement of non-Indigenous as the new Vice-Chancellor for the University is an affront to the collective pedigree of the entire state as the host community.

Reliable record before the public domain confirmed that prof. OO Akinkugbe (1975–1978) the 2nd Rector and 1st Vice-Chancellor, prof. AO Adesola (1978–1981) 2nd Vice Chancellor, Prof. SA Toye (1981–1988) 3rd Vice-Chancellor, Prof. A. Adeniyi (1985–1992) 4th Vice Chancellor, Prof.JO ​​Oyinloye (1992–59th Chancellor), Prof. SO Abdulraheem (1997–2002) 6th Vice Chancellor,

Others were prof. SO Amali (2002–2007) 7th vice-chancellor, prof. IO Oloyede (2007–2012) 8th Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AG Ambali (2012–2017) 9th Vice-Chancellor, and outgoing Prof. SA Abdulkareem (2017–2017). 2022) 10th Vice Chancellor.

IEYDA therefore expressed its reservations about the appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor as the entire process of the appointment lacked principles of honesty, objectivity and fairness, especially against the collective interest of the host community.

The process is seen as an intellectual insult and diminishing consideration against the knowledge-based collective pedigree of the host community.

The appointment of Professor Egbewole from among other prominent scholars to the position of the Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin must also be seen as the product of selective decisions of selected individuals, within and outside the system to embarrass the host community.

The primordial sentiments that characterized the selection process in the selection of Professor Abdulwahab Egbewole did not represent the interest of host community.

It was biased and calculated attempt to waste learned scholars from the host community.

The Presidency, Minister of Education, Chairman, Board of Governors of the University, Kwara State Government and other relevant stakeholders in the entire process must view the appointment as a departure from principles of justice, sincerity of purpose and highest regard for intellectual competence.

IEYDA therefore directed the concerned authority to reconsider and desist from acts contrary to the interests of the host community in the appointments to other critical positions in the same institution.

The process to select the new vice-chancellor was shrouded in secrecy as the scorecard of the applicants after their so-called thorough investigation was not made public as required.

This implied that the new Vice Chancellor was only handpicked by a select few Governing Council, based on their selfish interest in harming the host society.

However, IEYDA rejects and distances itself from the whole process with the hope that the injustice will actually be addressed.

The Association therefore called for calm and continued peace within and outside the system with the belief that areas raised will be critically investigated.

IEYDA considered the entire process to be flawed and inconsistent with the usual practice of appointing the Vice Chancellor. In particular, the Governing Council failed to present the actual scorecard of each candidate to reflect the shortlisting and screening processes. How the Governing Board arrived at the last choice has not been stated or confirmed. It was a product of empty decision, without objectivity and sincerity of purpose.

Kwara State is endowed with prominent individuals of the highest intellectual pedigree, competence and administrative acumen. Therefore, it is quite absurd to note that such age-long qualities were not considered in the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor for the University of Ilorin. Why anyone from Osun State when Kwara can steadily boast of a multitude of more capable scholars from different academic backgrounds, spread across the country and beyond the shores of Nigeria.

It is our position and patriotic submissions as critical stakeholders within the host community to promote peace and continued peaceful coexistence in the state, the University community and the country as a whole.

Above is the position of the Association at the end of its emergency meeting held today, Friday September 9, 2022 at its National Secretariat, Ilorin.

Signed

REPRESENTATIVE OF DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS UNDER IEYDA. AND IEYDA EXECUTIVE.