Ibadan indigenes under the auspices of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) Sunday raised the alarm of an alleged marginalisation of Ibadan indigenes in the appointment of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
Addressing a press conference at Ibadan House Oke Are Ibadan, CCII president general, Chief Adeyemi Soladoye stated that it is now the turn of an Ibadan indigene to become the next vice chancellor of the premier university.
CCII also asked the University of Ibadan Governing Council, President Muhammadu Buhari and other stakeholders in the country to ensure that the next vice chancellor of the institution which is due to succeed the incumbent on December 1, 2020 comes from Ibadan.
The CCII president general stated that it was unfortunate that since the establishment of the University of Ibadan in 1948 till date, no Ibadan indigene has emerged as its vice chancellor.
The CCCII president general said all Ibadan indigenes that are interested and qualified for the position of vice chancellor have been marginalised since inception of the university.
“The University of Ibadan established in 1948 sits on 2,550 acres of land, released to the institution for 999 years by our fathers with a “Thank You” handshake, One Guinea (£1.1s) and a bottle of Schnap. By this year, the University of Ibadan is 72-year-old and has produced 14 Nigerian vice chancellors between 1960 and today but inexcusably, no Ibadan man has ever emerged as the vice-chancellor of the university,” he said.
Chief Soladoye added that, “Out of the 14 serving and former Nigerian vice-chancellors of the university (including acting), 10 are of Yoruba descent, 7 Ijesha (Osun state), 2 Ijebu (Ogun state) and 1 Offa (Kwara state). The other four from Professor Kenneth Dike to Professor Tekena Tamuno were from non-Yoruba part of Nigeria.”
The CCII president stated that the neglect is not for absence of qualified Ibadan indigenes within the University of Ibadan system or in the academic circle of Nigeria to occupy the seat of the vice-chancellor of the university.
He said: “We wish to draw the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria and Nigerians to the fact that this neglect is not for absence of qualified Ibadan indigenes within the U.I system or in the academic circle of Nigeria to occupy the coveted seat of the vice-chancellor of the UI.
