Internal Crisis Stalls Appointment of New VC for University of Abuja

Internal crisis at the University of Abuja has stalled the process of selecting a new Vice Chancellor for the institution.

The process has now been suspended indefinitely, Daily Trust has learnt.

A source within the University told our correspondent that the interview for the seat has been postponed indefinitely.

"The interview was postponed indefinitely on May 2, 2014 and no one knows when it will be conducted," the source said.

Daily Trust gathered that 123 candidates applied for the seat before the crisis erupted within the screening council committee when some members attempted to subvert the laid down selection processes.

"Some members of the committee deliberately attempted to scuttle the process to favouring their candidate. The vacancy advertisement placed by the committee in the national dailies did not contain conditions. It was after the submission of the applications by the interested candidates that the committee brought about 12 conditions which obviously favoured their candidate," the source said.

When some members of the committee protested, a sub-committee was constituted within the university and was given four weeks to produce 10 candidates.

However, the committee came up with only four candidates and again some people protested and therefore the committee was dissolved, Daily Trust further gathered.

A 5-man committee was constituted again and mandated to produce additional six candidates but it also failed and therefore dissolved.

Following the development, the Governing Council of the university led Gen. Samuel Ogbemudia constituted another committee headed by Professor Anthony Adegbulugbe, with the Director of Academic Planning, Dr. Muktar Mohammed, Mrs. I. Okoli of the Computer Department and Mrs. O. A. Ariba representing the Federal Ministry of Education as members of the committee.

The Professor Adegbulugbe-led committee finally produced the 10 candidates but excluding the four that were earlier presented by the pioneer committee.

Daily Trust also gathered that the development has divided the committee into external and internal members with Prof. Adegbulugbe and Mrs. O. A. Ariba on one hand, and Dr. Mrs. I. Okoli on the other.

The two sides produced 10 and 11 different candidates but later the candidates were merged into 21. However, the selection board held the chairman to ransom to adopt the 10 weaker candidates of the internal members for interview.

The tenure of the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor James Adelabu has expired and processes for the selection of his successor commenced since January.