– A total of 18 professors had declared their interests to take over from the outgoing VC, Prof. Seddi Maimako
– The five members screening panel are sourced from the Senate and the Governing Council.
– One of the contestants for the VC position, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, blamed the Federal Government.
There is controversy surrounding the ongoing selection of a new vice chancellor for the University of Jos with both the external and internal members of the institution’s governing council divided over the procedure.
A total of 18 professors had declared their interests to take over from the outgoing VC, Prof. Seddi Maimako, whose single tenure of five years would expire in June 2021
A five member committee had been constituted to screen the applicants.
However, some external members of governing council were said to have kicked against the composition of the committee.
According to sources, the aggrieved external members, who insisted that only the Pro Chancellor of the university was empowered by law to preside over the interview panel, accused the outgoing VC of interference in the selection process because of the absence of the institution’s Pro Chancellor who died recently.
One of the sources said, “Also, in the past, there has never been any election when selecting members to represent the council on the interview panel. In the selection of all the three past VCs, including the current one, members of the interview panel from the council were appointed by the Pro Chancellor and not elected by council members.
But a source close to the VC said no law had been violated in the selection precess.
The source said, “I don’t see any problem in the ongoing process to select a new VC. Usually, the five members screening panel are sourced from the Senate and the Governing Council. The Senate which is allowed to produce two members has done its selection through election and there was no problem. And the external members of the Governing Council were at the meeting where it was decided that the three members that would represent the Council at the panel would be chosen through election and that has been done. Why should anyone complain about the process?”
One of the contestants for the VC position, who spoke on condition of anonymity, however, blamed the Federal Government.
“I think the controversy surrounding the VC could have been avoided if the Federal Government had done the right thing by appointing a new pro chancellor for the university.
