18 professors jostle to become UI’s Vice Chancellor
By Adesina Wahab and Adeola Badru
Eighteen professors, 11 of them from the University of Ibadan, UI, are now in the race to become the next Vice Chancellor of the institution, checks by our correspondent have revealed.
Apart from the 11 applicants from UI, there are three from the University of Ilorin, one each from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Federal University of Technology, Akure; University of Port Harcourt; and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.
The 11 applicants from the University of Ibadan are Kayode Adebowale of the Department of Chemistry, Abideen Aderinto of Sociology Department, Olusegun Ademowo of the Institute of Medical Research and Training (IMRAT); Ebenezer Farombi of Biochemistry; Temitope Alonge of the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma.
Others are Oluwabunmi Olapade-Olaopa of the Department of Surgery; Kolapo Hamzat of Physiotherapy; Oladele Layiwola of the Institute of African Studies; Clement Kolawole of the Department of Arts and Social Science Education; Babatunde Salako of the Department of Medicine; Aderemi Raji-Oyelade of English Department.
Applicants from other universities include Femi Mimiko of the Department of International Relations, Obafemi Awolowo University; the trio of Lateef Adeleke, Adebayo Lawal and Hassan Saliu are from the University of Ilorin.
Other non-UI applicants are Hakeem Fawehinmi of the University of Port Harcourt; Rasaq Kalilu of the Department of Fine & Applied Arts, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso; and Kayode Onifade of the Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Akure.
However, 16 out of the 18 contestants have presented their agenda to the university community, via Zoom (virtual platform), in a bid to convince them to select them as the next VC of the institution.
It was gathered that the interview of the 18 VC aspirants initially scheduled to hold this week has been adjourned till further notice.
Meanwhile, in what could be described as a keenly contested election for the 2020/2025, Senate Representatives on the Joint Council/Senate Joint Selection Board for the appointment of the 13th Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Peter Olamakinde Olapegba of the Department of Psychology and his colleague in the Department of Mathematics, Prof Ezekiel Olusola Ayooola, have emerged winners.
Olapegba, the immediate-past Dean, Faculty of Social Science and Ayoola, Head of Department of Mathematics, polled the highest votes of 362 and 352 respectively, to emerge winners and become part of the cynosures in the premier university to decide who will lead the institution for the next five years.
The election, which was conducted by electronic voting, had nine candidates jostling for the two slots.
The incumbent VC of UI, Prof. Abel Olayinka, will leave office in November when his five-year term expires.
In a related development, Professors Barakat Animashaun, Olatunde Owolabi and Babatunde Yusuf have been elected by the Senate of the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo to be part of the Senate/ Governing Council Vice Chancellor Selection Committee.
LASU’s outgoing VC, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, is completing his term next January.