•Council members divided over several anointed candiditates, over 60 Professors jostle for Soremekun’s job
…as varsity Council appoints new Registrar, Librarian
•Varsity spokesman debunks development
From Kehinde Adewole and Kennis Bright
The race towards appointing the next Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) has become really tight and tough as investigations revealed that over 60 Professors, said to be eminently qualified to succeed out-going Professor Kayode Soremekun come February, 2021, have already put in their applications.
This is just as the University council has announced the appointment of new substantive Registrar and Librarian of the school who are Mr. Olatunbosun Odunsanya and Dr. I. O Busayo respectively.
Findings by our Correspondent eqaully showed that the Prof. Soremekun-led Management team has performed admirally well, leaving a record that would really be hard to beat by succeeding Management team.
Against a recent allegation from some members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU, FUOYE local branch and Akure zone) that the Management of the school had shut the door against qualified academics from private and state Universities, findings by our Correspondent revealed that the University Management had received applications from both private, public, Federal and state Universities across the country.
One of the applicants, who pleaded anonymity and confided in the Reporter that he was number 62 on the applicants’ list, said he could confirm that the applications for the juicy position was received from all who brought them, adding that the applicants did not only come from private, public, state and federal Universities, but also from virtually all the six geo-political zones of the country.
“I am afraid this race will be a very tight and tough one. I am really amazed that I turned out to be number 62 on the list of applicants for the position of Vice-chancellor of FUOYE despite the fact that l put in my application three days after the advertisement in the papers. It looked as if the University has been in existence for donkey years because it has now become a hot cake for erudite scholars, academics and prospective students. Almost every qualified Professors from virtually all Universities in both public and private Universities are eager to join FUOYE to become the next VC. And if you asked me why?, I will simply reply by saying, this University has been very well managed by the current VC, Professor Soremekun and l salute him greatly,” he said.
Further findings revealed that out of the over 60 applicants, about nine equally qualified Professors who have held principal positions in managing the University since its 10 years of existence, have also applied. These internal aspirants included five Professors from the Faculty of Agriculture, who included Professor Adebimtan, Prof. Adeniji Aganga, former DVC, Academics, Prof. Ajayi Omolehin,
Prof. Sunday Abayomi, current DVC, Administration. Fromom the Faculty of Engineering, the aplicants are Prof. Olugbenga Amu and Prof. Alabadan. While Prof. Olayide Lawal, Dean, Faculty of Sciences, also applied, Prof. Olajide Oladele, Dean of Management Sciences, has also put in his application.
Further findings revealed that they have all served the University meritoriously in their different capacities and their Curriculum Vitaes showed that they are eminently qualified to lead the University.
The source added: “The Council and the VC are already at a crossroads and need prayers now so they would sail through this huge task. Although, we are confident that they are up to the task and would do the job judiciously and patriotically.
” It was also discovered that applications from other eminently qualified Professors have come from virtually all the first generation universities in Nigeria which included the University of Lagos,
UNILAG, University of Ibadan, (U.l), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Federal University of Technology (FUTO), and Federal University of Abuja (FUNAB) among others, ” he said.
The development simply showed that FUOYE has already carved a niche for herself among the well recognized Nigerian Universities.
Indeed, the intimidating CVs attached to the applications put in by all these academic bigwigs have made the race to FUOYE VCship a very tight one. Moreso, by virture of his outstanding performance, which have received accolades from many stakeholders including the Visitor, President Mohammed Buhari, the former Council members and the new chairman, FUOYE Governing Council, Dr. Mohammed Yahuza, the out-going VC, Prof. Soremekun, is leaving a very big shoe for his successor. Such shoe that has become so big that a successor who would take over from him would have to be one who really worth his salt.
A reliable source from the school Management revealed also that a perusal of the Curriculum Vitaes of the over 60 applicants shows that there are indeed be some who have the pre-requisites to succeed Soremekun.
FUOYE has witnessed remarkable progress during the almost five years of the current Prof. Soremekun-led Management team which comprises other principal officers as DVC Administration, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, DVC, Academics, Prof. Sola Ojo, Bursar, Mrs. Bolatito Akande, Acting Registrar, Mr. Mufutau Ibrahim and of course, the VC’s former Director of Adminstration and Special Duties, now appointed substantive Registrar, Mr. Olatunbosun Odunsanya and other directors in various capacities.
However, our findings equally revealed that the VCship race has created heated controversy among the current Management of FUOYE.
Investigations by our Correspondent revealed that the influential people who are principal officials of the University have been divided over their individual choices of who becomes the next VC and that development has strained their relationship.
It was gathered that while the Bursar, Mrs. Bolatito Akande is scheming for a certain Prof. Sokefu who is said to be her husband’s friend, the newly appointed substantive Registrar and former Director of Administration and Special Duties to the out-going VC, Mr. Olatunbosun Odunsanya, who is said to be close to the Bursar is currently scheming to have the Dean of Management Sciences, Prof. Oladele as the next VC.
Findings through reliable sources also revealed that even the out- going VC has his own anointed candidate as his current Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Abayomi Fasina. This ugly development has generated bad blood among the stakeholders in the University community and greatly strained the relationship among the trio of Bursar, new Registrar and the outgoing VC.
While these three candidates, i.e Shokefu, Oladele and Fasina are eminently qualified by way of their intimidating Curriculum Vitaes for the job, certain key factors would determine their choices. Such factors as public image, nature of power play, popularity and acceptance among the University community among others. It was also reliably gathered that there is confusion also among the twelve powerful and influential people in the University Council tagged the power brokers in the Council, to the point that the team also has been split into three factions based on their interests and choices for the next VC. Each of these factions have their candidates from among the trio of Oladele, Fasina and another internal applicant, Prof. Lawal Olayide who is current Dean, Faculty of Sciences.
While little could be gathered about Prof Shokefu’s influence because he is coming from outside the FUOYE community, Oladele is known for his large support base among the academic staff. He has also performed creditably well in his office as Dean and enjoyed good rapport with the local branch of ASUU in FUOYE.
Prof. Lawal has also warmed the hearts of so many of the stakeholders with his sterling performance as Dean, Faculty of Sciences.
Fasina has won several grants for FUOYE as an outstanding scholar with an intimidating global presence and connections. He has also performed creditably well as an administrator and enjoys a great support from both the academic and administrative arms of the University.
But responding to the development, FUOYE spokesman and Deputy Director, Directorate of Corporate Affairs and Services, Mr. Ademuyiwa Adeyinka has denied it, saying: “There is no confusion over the VCship race in the University. I can tell you that no principal officer of the school has issued any official statement that there is confusion about the process. The process is on going and any one who is feeding the public about confusion are only remaining anonymous and they can continue to remain so.” He said.
