Traditionalists Storm OAU With Charms, Protest Appointment Of VC | WATCH VIDEO
Traditionalists Storm OAU With Charms, Protest Appointment Of VC | WATCH VIDEO
Traditionalists on Monday, March 21, stormed the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife In Osun state, protesting the recent appointment Of Professor Adebayo Bamire as the 12th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the institution.
The indigenes invaded the campus with charms and fetish objects causing panic. They also closed the exit and entrance of the institution refusing access to students and staff members.
The rage had started last week Thursday, when Bamire’s appointment was announced by the OAU Governing Council, led by its Chairman, Owelle Oscar Udoji.
They were said to have become violent on the second day of protest, as they allegedly assaulted staff physically, and vandalized properties.
The protesters insisted that an indigene of Ile-Ife should have been appointed.
Bamire, a professor of Agricultural Economics, is a native of Oyan in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State.
Reacting to the outrage, OAU Management in a statement released by the Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, explained that the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board shortlisted 16 candidates for an interaction for the post of Vice-Chancellor.
Candidates whose names were arranged in alphabetical order, were called in for interaction and each was scored by each member of the selection board.
The score sheets of each assessor for individual candidates were dropped into an envelope and sealed with the signature of the Chairman of Council on each one.
“At the end of the interaction, the sealed envelopes were opened one after the other and announced to all the members. The score sheets were thereafter passed around for sighting. Then, the scores of the candidates were collated with Microsoft Excel and ranked from the highest to the lowest.
“The candidate with the highest score was eventually announced as the Vice-Chancellor by the Governing Council.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no member of the Board had foreknowledge of each candidate’s score before the final collation at the end of the interaction.
The University is aware of the false presentation of the alphabetical arrangement of the applicants as the authentic list of applicants’ performance where unfounded allegations have been made of changing the “leading” candidate.
“The University hereby affirms that due processes were followed and merit was the basis for the appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor.
“The University Management implores the leadership of Ile- Ife to please call these protesters to order so that the cordial relationship, which has been in existence, between the University and the Ile- Ife communities is not jeopardized” the statement read in part.
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