The Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has called for the recusal of the Pro-Chancellor of the Lagos State University, Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo, in the fresh selection process of the 9th vice chancellor for the university to guarantee the integrity of the process.
The group accused the Pro-chancellor of an attempt to compromise the fresh selection process ordered by the Visitor for the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for the University.
The ERC in a statement by Ogunjimi Isaac Ayobami, Deputy National Coordinator and Michael Lenin, National Mobilization Officer is therefore demanding a merit-based, fair and democratic process to elect a substantive 9th Vice Chancellor for the Lagos State University (LASU).
It said it rejected the unilateral actions of the pro-chancellor to “undermine the new selection process ordered by the Visitor in order to accomplish an agenda to foist on the university a preferred candidate.”
The group said, “We hereby demand the democratic re-constitution of the Joint Senate and Council selection committee and democratic discussion and agreement at Council of new and acceptable criteria to guide and ensure a merit-based and transparent selection process leading to the appointment of a substantive 9th Vice Chancellor.
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“This we believe will not only make the process transparent and fair but it will ensure that the interest of all stakeholders are put into consideration in electing the next vice chancellor.
“We also support the call for the recusal of the Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Adebayo Ninalowo, in order to guarantee the integrity of the fresh selection process failure of which may throw the academic community into needless controversy and crisis.
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Recall that the Lagos State Governor had cancelled the selection process for a substantive VC on January 18 and ordered a fresh exercise within 45 days.
The group said the advertisement for applicants for the position of Vice Chancellor failed to explicitly state among the criteria the possession of PhD as a key requirement even though it did make PhD supervision and examination additional requirements.
“However, it was specified in the criteria that applicants must possess 10 years post-professorial experience. But shockingly, among applicants who were shortlisted and eventually recommended in a 3 person list for the consideration of the visitor were those who either did not possess PhD or ten years post-professorial experience.
“ This was the embarrassing situation the selection committee had put the University until the visitor intervened following outcry from groups including ASUU-LASU.”.
It alleged another series of infractions in the fresh process. “First and foremost, we learnt that the visitor’s instruction for a fresh exercise was not taken to Council for discussion as is expected in the circumstance.
“We believe such a discussion was necessary not only procedurally but to also permit an unbiased interpretation of the instruction of the visitor and allow council determine the criteria for the fresh exercise. Instead of this democratic approach, the Pro-chancellor and Registrar bypassed the Council and unilaterally put out in the national dailies a new advertorial calling for applicants for Vice Chancellorship of the Institution with new criteria.
“This for us is an abuse of the Pro-Chancellor’s powers and a contravention of democratic norms. No other body, individual or organ except the Council has the power to set criteria and call for applicants to fill the vacant position of the Vice Chancellor.”
It said the latest advert for the VC position equated possession of a Fellowship with PhD degree thus contravening the subsisting academic tradition including a National Universities Commission (NUC) circular of 3rd March 2020 which makes possession of fellowship compulsory requirement for eligibility to pursue a PhD by medical practitioners.
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