A Professor and Deputy Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr. Philip C. Mefoh, has attributed the crisis being witnessed in appointment of Vice Chancellors in universities to politicians meddling with the affairs of the institutions.
Recall that the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor in the University of Abuja, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), was marred by controversy.
Speaking in an interview with NewsNGR on the reasons for the recurrent crisis in the system, Mefoh alleged that politicians install people they would control to run the universities.
“The Nigerian politicians are the worst kind! They have conquered the Nigerian state and have amassed so much wealth that money is no longer their problem. Their preoccupation now is power to control how things are run in the states (e.g., Rivers state) or in the Universities (e.g., Unizik and UniAbuja).
“Politicians want to install people they would control to run the Universities for them by proxy. Many politicians want to have control over awards of contracts, admission process and recruitment of staff in Universities,” he said.
Mefoh also attributed the crisis to corruption which has eaten deep into the university system.
“Otherwise, how can an academic who is not a full professor (a mere Reader) presents himself or herself for the position of a VC in a university where you have many qualified full professors?,” he queried.
He accused the Federal Government of appointing members of Governing Councils of Nigerian universities solely to settle party members.
“As can be seen from the activities of many of them, they are loyal to the party members who facilitated their appointment. They do their bidding and never bothered to read the laws governing the universities they were appointed to superintend. What we see in recent times is the appointment of anointed candidate of the Council Chairman’s benefactor to the position of the Vice-Chancellor by any means unknown to law.
“About a week ago, I was discussing with a Personal Assistant to a very big politician and he told me who would be the next VC of UNN. The interview is yet to be conducted, but they already have a VC waiting in the winds. When I pointed out that there are other more qualified professors (one of whom, his “Oga” was earlier routing for), he told me that the anointed candidate is not the best candidate, but that the APC Governor in the South-east has selected him and there’s nothing anyone can do about it!,” he said.
Mefoh also blamed the crisis on ethnicity adding that “Nigerian universities are no longer universal. It’s now an ethnic appendage of the host community.
“Gone were the days when Kenneth Dike was the VC of UI or Umaru Shehu VC of UNN! The indigenous people struggle to get the VC position, even when they are not qualified and they do all within their powers to ensure that more qualified professors, who are not from that tribe, do not smell the position.”
Mefoh lamented the pauperization of lecturers adding that it was a deliberate attempt by Nigerian politicians to invade the Ivory Towers.
“Academics have received the same salary since 2009, despite the volatile economy of Nigeria. With this situation, academics are willing tools in the hands of politicians. Politicians have then used the sorry financial state of Lecturers as a bait to control them and disrupt the system,” he said.
For the recurrent crisis to be resolved, the Professor urged politicians to allow the laws of each university to function.
“Let there be rule of law in the selection of VCs of Nigerian universities; applicants to the position should be subjected to the same interview process and the best man or woman for the job is selected to run the administration of the university,” he said.