Ile-Ife Protest: Pro Chancellors condemns protests by indigenes

The protests against the appointment of the new Vice-chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University by the indigenes of Ile-Ife, Osun State, as been said to be an unfortunate incidence by the Committee of Pro-chancellors of Federal Universities.

It had been reported that the indigenes of Ile Ife were displeased when the announcement of Prof Adebayo Bamire as the 12th substantive VC of OAU was made and this sparked a series of protests by some of the indigenes, insisting that an Ife indigene should have been appointed.

It was reported that the Ile Ife indigene, Prof Rufus Adedoyin, was the ninth position out of 16 candidates shortlisted for interaction for the post of VC by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board.

The angry and unsatisfied indigenes, all in a bid to ensure the installation of an Ile-Ife indigene as the next OAU VC, entered the varsity’s campus with fetish objects.

The Committee of Pro-Chancellors in a communique signed by its chairman, Professor Nimi-Briggs, said on Wednesday that, the OAU as a Federal Institution has staff and students from all over Nigeria and the world hence the Vice-chancellor can come from any part of Nigeria, and globally.

“The insistence that an indigene of Ife be appointed to the position of Vice-Chancellor that formed the basis of the protest is very unfortunate at two levels. First, OAU, is a federal institution and has staff from all over Nigeria. Second, and more importantly, it is a university that recruits staff and students from all over the world. In the same vein, the Vice-chancellor can come from any part of Nigeria and the wider world”.