The Civil Society Coalition for Educational Development has urged President Bola Tinubu, through the minister of education to intervene in the ongoing crisis over the selection of a vice chancellor for the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA).
Addressing the press during a peaceful protest in Abuja yesterday, Dr. Wisdom Ohalete Chinedu said the government should provide protection for the acting vice chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, whom he said was a victim of ethnic manipulation, political scheming and power struggle at the university.
According to Chinedu, the 25-member Civil Society Coalition for Educational Development, after a thorough investigation and review of the leadership crisis at the university, presented its findings and recommendations.
“We are deeply disappointed that the almost recurrent chaotic selection process for the vice chancellor at the University of Abuja has reared its ugly head again.
It would be recalled that a similar situation occurred during the appointment of the former vice chancellor, Prof. Adelabu, where our recommendations to the then minister of education helped restore peace. We also recall our involvement in the appointment of the immediate past vice chancellor, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah.
“We have, therefore, become familiar with the pattern of leadership succession at the University of Abuja over the past two decades and are using the same approach to address the current crisis, which seems to be driven by political interests among some faculty members.
“We must express our frustration and disappointment over the recent protest by some professors at the university regarding the appointment of a substantive vice chancellor. We find it absurd, a direct assault on due process, and a betrayal of their experience.
It undermines global efforts to increase women and youth representation in leadership roles,” he said.
The group described the protest as a sponsored initiative by individuals with vested interests who oppose change.
“After careful investigation, our findings showed that the protest was engineered by vested interests with ulterior motives, not out of genuine concern for the repositioning of the sector. It is baffling that highly educated individuals would allow themselves to be used for such purposes. We have also filed a petition with the Nigeria Police, requesting them to investigate and prosecute certain individuals who attempted to create chaos and tarnish the reputation of the vice chancellor,” he said.
