By Gabriel Dike
The immediate past Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Prof John Obafunwa was the main casualty in the selection exercise as he was not among applicants shortlisted by the Governing Council for the vacant VC position.
The joint council and Senate selection committee shortlisted nine Professors for the plum job and Prof Obafunwa’s name was conspicuously missing from the list.
The Governing Council/Senate selection committee would decide the fate of the nine Professors shortlisted for plum job as the interview for the eight VC is scheduled for next meet Monday.
Obafunwa’s submission of his application caught the staff unions unaware who had a running battle with him for months. The inability of the immediate past VC to make the shortlist elicited jubilations from the workers when the news filtered into the campus.
The joint council and Senate selection committee shortlisted nine Professors for the plum job and Prof Obafunwa’s name was conspicuously missing from the list.
The Governing Council/Senate selection committee would decide the fate of the nine Professors shortlisted for plum job as the interview for the eight VC is scheduled for next meet Monday.
Obafunwa’s submission of his application caught the staff unions unaware who had a running battle with him for months. The inability of the immediate past VC to make the shortlist elicited jubilations from the workers when the news filtered into the campus.
Prof Obafunwa was appointed the 7th VC of LASU by the immediate past governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola on November 1, 2011 and his tenure ended on Saturday, October 31. He was chased out of the main campus and for seven months he operated from his personal office at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM).
Daily Sun learnt that 14 Professors applied for the vacant VC position out of which nine were picked for the interview slated for December 7 at LASUCOM because the council/Senate chamber is still under lock and key since March 16.
A breakdown of the nine Professors selected for the final interview by the Prof Adebayo Ninalowo-led governing council revealed that six are from LASU, one each from University of Lagos and Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye and an applicant from outside the country.
Among those shortlisted for the plum job include two former deputies VC, Prof Olatunji Bello from LASUCOM, Prof Senna Bakre from Faculty of Sciences, current Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof Abolade Adeniji, Prof Lanre Fagbhon, formerly of LASU now with UNILAG, Prof Babajide Elemo (Sciences), Prof Nurudeen Olasupo (Microbiology), Prof Hamidu Sanni (Islamic Studies), Prof Oki from Texas, USA and Prof S.A. Tella of OOU in the Department of Economics.
The nine shortlisted Professors jostling for the vacant VC position would face the council/Senate selection committee led by the Pro-Chancellor and chairman, governing council, Prof Ninalowo for the final interview on Monday, December 7 at LASUCOM.
After the interview, the entire governing council members would meet to deliberate on the outcome and the three best candidates would be sent to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to pick one as the 8th VC for LASU.
The new Pro-chancellor and chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Prof Adebayo Ninalowo, told our Correspondent that the selection process would be strictly on merit.
The council chairman in his first interview after his appointment on September 16 told our Correspondent that the selection of a new VC would be based on the existing law as contained in the LASU 2004 edict.
He revealed that the governing council does not have a favoured candidate insisting the selection exercise would be based on LASU law and on competence.
The four staff unions equally stated that they would not interfere in the selection process as was the case during the last VC selection exercise but urged for transparency in the exercise
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.