The recent selection of principal officers of the University of Ilesa by Governor Ademola Adeleke has been met with criticism from the Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Yinka Fasuyi, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state. They have described the process as a breach of universal best practice and a violation of the law that established the university.
Yinka Fasuyi, in a letter to the governor, noted that the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor should have been selected through a competitive contest with other similarly qualified candidates to ensure that the best available hand emerges at the end of the exercise. He expressed concern that the state government’s unilateral selection of both the university governing council and principal officers could lead to a relationship of “Yes Daddy” between the university and the state government, which could be detrimental to the success and growth of the institution.
Similarly, the APC, in a statement by the Acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, criticized the process as “crude, illegal and stinks to high heavens.” He stated that the law that established the University of Ilesa does not grant the state governor the power to remove or appoint the Vice-Chancellor and principal officers of the university without the recommendation of the Governing Council. The APC considers the governor’s actions as reckless and a bad precedent, indicating that the Adeleke administration lacks governance basics.
In response, Governor Ademola Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said that the University of Ilesa has come to stay and that the appointment of principal officers is in fulfillment of his pledge to nurture a sustainable institution. He assured that the many laudable ideas recommended by the Asaolu committee are now billed for implementation under the same man who chaired the review panel. He commended the leaders, sons and daughters of Ijeshaland for their patience and acceptance of the ongoing decisions of his government and urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the new Vice Chancellor as he settles down to the urgent task of sustainable take-off of the university.
In summary, the Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Yinka Fasuyi, and the APC in Osun state have expressed their disapproval of the selection process of principal officers of the University of Ilesa by Governor Ademola Adeleke. They believe that the process is a violation of universal best practices and the law that established the university. Governor Adeleke, on the other hand, has assured the public that the appointment of principal officers is in the interest of a sustainable institution and has called for cooperation with the new Vice Chancellor.
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