Obi, Okorocha In Battle Of Wits Over Who Becomes Unizik Vice Chancellor , UNN Too Hots Up

           

Prof Boniface Egboka of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka will vacate office on 3^rd June ,2014. And as he steps aside the new Vice Chancellor steps in. Already the race for the coveted position has narrowed down to three professors. The same campaign is ongoing at University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

More than 80 professors began the race to succeed outgoing VC, Prof. Boniface Egboka, of Unizik and Prof Bartho Okolo of UNN but only the trio of  Prof Benjamin Osisioma of Faculty of Management Sciences, Prof. Greg Nwakoby of the Faculty of Law and Prof. Joseph Ahaneku of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences of the University are still standing for Unizik. I don’t know that of UNN.

Indeed, who will become the next Vice-Chancellors of the two institutions next month, when the tenures of the incumbent Vice-Chancellors expire, is the riddle the Governing Councils of the universities and Federal Government are expected to unveil in the next few weeks.
No fewer than 80 candidates (Professors) within and outside the country are said to be jostling for the plump job, with UNIZIK having over 40 candidates in the race, while over 35 Professors are already in the race for UNN Vice-chancellorship position.
The lucky candidates are to succeed Prof. Bartho Okolo, the incumbent Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria and Professor Boniface Egboka, his counterpart at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, who will both bow out of offices in June, this year.
Those in the UNN Vice-Chancellorship race are Prof. Emma Ezeani of the institution’s Department of Political Science; Prof. Emma Ezugwu of the Nigeria Air Force Institute; Prof. Charles Asadu, of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University; Prof. Ikenna Omeje, a Professor of Agriculture at Delta State University; Prof. Denchris Onah, the former Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Prof. Malachy Okwueze, the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Administration of UNN; Prof. Polycarp Chigbu, the incumbent Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and former Dean of School of Postgraduate Studies of the institution, and Prof. Grace Offorma, the only female contender and former member of the university’s Governing Council.
For UNIZIK, we have among the contestants Prof. Okey Ikpeze, former Provost of the College of Medicine of the university; Prof. Josephat Oguejiofor, a Catholic Priest and former Dean of Faculty of Arts of the university; Prof. Emeka Ezeonu, former Dean of Students’ Affairs of the institution; Prof. Abel Igbokwe, a former Dean of Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the university; and Prof. Sunny Nwankwo, who is currently at the University of East London.
Others include also include Professor Greg Nwakobi, the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Administration, Prof. Joe Ahaneku, a twotime Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic); Prof. Osisioma, a former Dean of Management Sciences; and Prof. Innocent Onyeyiri, former Dean of Faculty of Engineering, among others. UNN was established in 1960 by the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, former President of Nigeria and the Owelle of Onitsha, while UNIZIK, named after him, was established as a federal university in 1992.
One striking thing about the duo of Nwakobi and Okwueze, is that they were said to have studied Religion in their first degrees at UNN, where they both came out with First Class Division. While Nwakobi graduated in 1986, Okwueze also graduated in 1987 as the best graduating student of his set.
But the university communities are divided over who become their Vice-Chancellors. While a section of the members of the university communities, including the various workers’ unions are rooting for insiders as their next Vice- Chancellors, a section is angling for candidates that will sustain the tradition of quality of the university.
According to the group, whoever becomes the Vice-Chancellor should be ready to take the university to the next level of development and position the institution as the university of the 21st Century.
The candidates are to be screened by a five-man interview panel headed by the Chairman of the Governing Council of respective university. At UNN, where the tradition has been for the institution’s branch of the university teachers’ umbrella union, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to be visibly involved in the selection process, the situation is quite different this time around.
The five-man interview panel or committee, which comprised three members; two from the university Senate and who are not members of the Senate. Members of the UNIZIK selection committee, chaired by Air Vice Marshal Larry Koinyan (rtd) has as members Prof. Amobi Ilika and Prof. C. C. Egolum, who were elected a fortnight ago to represent the Senate on the panel, while Prof. Osita Ogbu and Prof. C.M.I Okoye were elected last week by the UNN authorities to represent the university Senate on the selection committee
The UNN committee is chaired by Mr. Emmanuel Okula, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, while that of UNIZIK is Air Vice Marshal Larry Koinyan (rtd).
Worried by the myriad of problems confronting the universities which is stagnating their development,  members of UNN community pointed out that the welfare of academic and non-academic members of staff should be the priority of the next Vice-Chancellor if he is to enjoy the support of the workers and for the university to record appreciable development.
However, the Secretary of one of the departments explained that the current administration had failed to take the issue of welfare of staff into consideration, saying the university needs a Vice-Chancellor who will accord the workers due recognition they deserve in the scheme of the university development.
He listed some of the challenges as non-promotion of workers, adequate infrastructure for academic activities, adding that the issue of lack of functional laboratories and dearth of funds for departments which are field-based should be tackled by the new Vice-Chancellor. He alleged that lack of funds for the running of the departments has resulted to students in Archeology, Geography and Geology Departments contributing money for their field trips.
A student in the Faculty of Social Sciences expressed dismay over the abandoned dilapidated Zik Flat Hostels, saying the in-coming Vice-Chancellor should make the rehabilitation of the hostels a priority project of his administration. Also, at UNIZIK, members of the university community urged the new Vice-Chancellor to design a clear priority for the provision and building of hostel facilities in the institution.
“At the moment, over 80 per cent of the students live off campus and what this suggests is that the students will only be on campus between 9am and 4pm, after which they leave the campus to spend most of their time outside the university system, which negates the ennobling ideals of university scholars.
They also complained of lack of adequate classroom and auditorium facilities to cater for the growing population of students, which has become a source of worries to the university system, saying due to lack of a decent and suitable learning environment, students hang on corridors with their chairs, especially at the university Garuba Square for lectures and during examinations.
They condemned such situation, lamenting that it is fraught with distractions as they study for their examinations. Besides, members of the universities however bemoaned the low ebbs of research and teaching activities, which they blamed on poor power supply to the institutions, saying all these should be addressed by the new Vice-Chancellors for the institutions to meet the dream and aspirations of their founding fathers.
However, Professor Nwakobi, a native of Anambra State was said to be the favourite of the UNIZIK Senate representatives and most of the Governing Council members in the Selection Board for the appointment of new Vice-Chancellor. Aheneku, who hails from Mbaise District of Imo State, has been pictured as another leading contender in the UNIZIK race backed by Governor Rochas Okorocha.  Again, the only one loved by all but the University would not like to hear about him , Prof Ben Osisioma appears to be clinching the ticket as powerful forces are behind his candidacy. Former Governor Peter Obi is backing a candidate unnamed.    
Meanwhile, Professors Amobi Ilika and C.C. Egolum had emerged as the two Senate representatives for the selection board of the new Vice-Chancellor, UNIZIK, while Professor Joseph Ikechebelu emerged as the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Board representative on the panel. They were elected at the 167th Senate meeting of UNIZIK held on April 16, at the

•Photo shows outgoing UNIZIK VC, Prof. Boniface Egboka.

Courtesy odogwuemekaodogwu.com, Telegraph and News Express