By The search for who succeeds Professor Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, as the next Vice Chancellor of Lagos State University has met with an interesting development.
BlackBox Nigeria learnt that some workers of the state-owned institution have petitioned, the visitor, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, rejecting the recommendation made by the Vice-Chancellor Selection Committee.
In the petition signed by Olalekan Akinloye and Olatunji Alonge, the said workers alleged that the joint council and senate selection committee, by shortlisting Professors Olumuyiwa Odusanya, Kabir Akinyemi and Senapon Bakre, has failed to consider the prerequisites for the position of Vice-Chancellor.
They also kicked against the candidature of Professor Odusanya, saying he doesn’t possess a PhD Degree talkless of supervising PhD students, as stated in the advertisement for the office.
The petition read in part: “We are constrained to react to the recommendation which listed Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya as number one and deliberately excluded Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello from first to third. We believe that there is a grand, elaborate plan hatched by the Chairman of Council and the outgoing Vice-Chancellor to scheme Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello out of the race on the pretext that she didn’t make the top three.
“What is interesting about the candidature of Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya to the position of the 9th Vice-Chancellor in LASU is how and why he was shortlisted without a PhD degree. Although he possesses the Fellowship certificate of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the advertisement for the position clearly states that such a candidate must be a scholar with significant impact in areas of international supervision and examination of PhD, and must also have supervised students (especially PhD). You cannot supervise a PhD if you do not possess a PhD Degree.”
The workers, however, passed a vote of confidence on one of the candidates, Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello as the next Vice-Chancellor.
“Among all the shortlisted candidates, Professor Ibiyemi-Bello is the only one who is eminently qualified for the office of the Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University, having ticked all the boxes as specified in the requirements advertised for the position. She has a PhD in Physiology and possesses well above the required ten years’ experience as a Professor. The weak effort to question her heritage as a Lagosian appears to stem from the realization in some quarters that she is the only one on the shortlist whose credentials meet ALL the stipulated requirements.
“Professor Ibiyemi-Bello in her brief stint as Acting Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University demonstrated in little time that she is an institution builder, a good motivator of the workforce, and a leader who possesses an in-depth understanding of a dynamic work environment. This is why she enjoys wide acceptability across all layers of the University. If she gets the nod of the Visitor, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu, to steer the ship of the University, Lagosians and other stakeholders in the University can be rest assured that the institution is in for an extended period of peace and phenomenal progress,” they explained.
Recall BlackBox Nigeria had reported that Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, according to sources, stands a better chance of being named Fagbohun’s successor.
The renowned Physiologist had a brief stint as Acting Vice Chancellor after the disreputable ‘Hussein-must-go’ saga which saw the ouster of then Vice Chancellor, Professor Lateef Hussein.
