Indigenes Want VC Position At UNILORIN For Keep

By Ayodele Oni

Indiginization war ravaging the country’s Ivory Towers is spreading to the University of Ilorin as a Group has embarked on campaigns to stop the appointment of a non Indigene as Vice Chancellor.

Just as the row over invasion of Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile Ife by sponsored Traditionalists over the appointment of a non- indigene as VC settles, the Ilorin Group has vowed that  “We won’t allow a non-indigene to succeed the indigene.”

The Ilorin Emirate Descendant Progressive Union (IEDPU) said there are plans by ‘fifth columnists,’ to scuttle the chances of indigenes of Ilorin emerging as the Vice Chancellor of the institution.

IEDPU in a press statement by its National President, Alhaji Abdulhamid Adi, titled ‘Return of the Fifth Columnist,’ accused those he called enemies of the emirates of launching ceaseless attack on the personality of the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali.

This, according to him, was in order to jeopardise the chances of the emergence of another Ilorin indigene to succeed the incumbent administrator.

The IEDPU warned those allegedly behind the plot not to take meekness of the union as weakness simply because Islam teaches and preaches tolerance.

It further warned that the sentiments against Ilorin indigenes and what Ilorin represents, as regards the university, should be stopped forthwith, warning that the hatred being exhibited can only drawback the entire system.

According to IEDPU, five vice chancellors had administered the university who were non indigenes of Ilorin, but got hugely supported and wondered why the hostility to Ilorin indigenes whenever they are in-charge instead of reciprocity.

“Our action is not a ploy to shield Prof. Ambali, but we cannot tolerate any person or group of people bent on rubbishing the feats attained by the university and Ambali in particular who happened to hail from the emirate.”

It said the people of Ilorin and the emirate had played significant roles before and after the establishment of the university by supporting the institution, noting that the vast amount of land donated by Ilorin made the university permanent site the biggest landmass possess by any university in Nigeria.

“At inception, pioneer staff of the university were imported as it were. Almost all academic and non academic staff including even cleaners were brought from states outside the then Kwara as if there were no one worthy enough within the state to be employed.

“The department of Arabic and Islamic studies which would have been the department to reflect the cultural attachment of our people was changed to that of religion because of the sentiment of a negligible few.

“In 1997, Prof Shuaib Oba AbdulRaheem was appointed the VC and was welcomed to the office, by a 21 ft python sat majestically on his seat just as he was about to commence his administration. The snake, preserved for posterity, is still in a laboratory of the university.

“They were hostile against Professor Oba all through his tenure and at national assignment and tormented professor Is-haq Oloyede because of his perceived link with Ilorin community and their paranoid for Islam. Were they on sabbatical when Prof Ambali was the VC?

“The reason for all these attacks is crystal clear, bring down the outgoing VC from Ilorin and another Ilorin VC will not emerge.”

On the protracted ASUU crisis that had plagued the university, IEDPU noted that the issue which culminated in the emergence of two factions, should have been resolved before now and advised the National Executive Council of ASUU to organise a free, fair and credible election to bring peace and unfettered operation to the chapter.

Professors in race for the VC post are Deputy Vice Chancellor, (Management Services), Prof. Adebayo Yusuf AbdulKareem, former Deputy Vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Bayo Lawal, Dean of Arts, Prof. Ahmad AbdulSalam, former Vice Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Prof. Sulieman Age AbdulKareem and one time Dean, Business and Social Sciences, Prof. Hassan Ajisafe Soliu.

Among the aspirants, three are from Ilorin while Prof Lawal and Prof Age Abdulkareem hail from Offa and Oro respectively.