It appears the management of the Lagos State University (LASU) has failed to learn from the controversy that led to the recent cancellation of the appointment of a new vice-chancellor for the institution.
The school has again shortlisted two candidates without PhDs (Doctor of Philosophy) for its vacant vice chancellor position despite the position of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the agency that regulates university education in Nigeria, that fellowships of any professional bodies or organisation cannot be substituted for a PhD.
Background
Following the expiration of Olanrewaju Fagbohun’s tenure as VC, packages have been referred to as for candidates to show interest in the role. Three applicants, Olumuyiwa Odusanya, Senapon Bakre and Kabir Akinyemi have been shortlisted.
The local bankruptcy of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), but, raised difficulty over what they tagged a flagrant violation of the advertisement for the vice-chancellor’s position.
According to the advertisement, “applicants for the location have to be professors of as a minimum 10 years standing, with a great tune file of educational excellence of local and worldwide reputation together with supervision and mentoring of postgraduate college students, demonstration of non-stop capability for educational leadership, a tune record of experience in university administration at excessive stages, and evidence of unassailable grounding inside the best academic traditions”.
But ASUU stated one of the shortlisted candidates, Mr Odusanya, a professor on the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja was unqualified.
They argued that the candidate’s qualification changed into the Fellowship of the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College (hereafter referred to as the Fellowship) and now not a PhD, which they stated makes him unqualified for the process.
Cancellation of selection process
This controversy among other pressures from involved events along with conventional rulers and political bigwigs throughout the country led to the suspension of the VC selection system in January.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu become inundated with petitions springing up from the choice procedure of the Vice-Chancellor by means of the Governing Council. After an intensive assessment and research of the various lawsuits, Mr Governor, in his potential as the Visitor to the University ordered the cancellation of the procedure,” Gboyega Akosile, the leader press secretary to the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said then in a assertion.
The governor then ordered a fresh procedure within 45 days.
The former deputy vice-chancellor (management) of the faculty, Oyedamola Oke, changed into later elected because the performing vice-chancellor in a University Senate election that befell on January eleven.
He were given sixty one votes to beat his contender, Wahab Ellias, the deputy vice-chancellor (teachers) who scored fifty one votes.
Fresh begin
Following the restart of the selection method, the Governing Council of LASU shortlisted 9 professors for the vacant VC position.
Sources instructed PREMIUM TIMES that despite the fact that thirteen professors applied, nine had been decided on for the interview scheduled to maintain on March eleven. Two of the candidates selected are not group of workers of the university.
The inner applicants shortlisted were: Akinyemi Kabir (Faculty of Science), Elias Wahab (cutting-edge deputy vice-chancellor) Sena Bakre (Faculty of Science), Ibiyemi-Bello Olatunji, (LASUCOM), Olumuyiwa Odusanya, (LASUCOM), Abiodun Adewuya (performing Provost of LASUCOM) and Ayodeji Badejo, (former Dean, Faculty of Education)
Two some of the seven internal applicants, Mr Odusanya (whose nomination become the main reason for the annulment of the primary choice procedure) and Mr Adewuya did no longer have PhDs, a improvement this is rapid generating ripples on campus.
PhD, postgraduate fellowship debate
LASU’s inner and outside advertisement for the post of VC says candidates with a PhD “or who own the fellowship certificate of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria”, are qualified to use.
It, however, states definitely that this sort of candidate ought to be a scholar “with extensive effect in regions of international supervision and exam of PhD, and must also have supervised college students (particularly PhD)”.
Some teachers within the college, however, said one can not supervise a PhD pupil in the event that they do now not possess a PhD diploma themselves. They, therefore, said placing a fellowship as an ‘equivalent’ of a PhD is an aberration.
They argued that if a candidate with simplest a postgraduate fellowship is chosen, it is able to lead to a crisis of legitimacy as a vice-chancellor without a PhD cannot confer PhD tiers on students.
Fellowship not replacement for PhD – NUC
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, recently informed a delegation from the West African Postgraduate College of Medical Laboratory Science, (WAPCMLS) that NUC will now not take delivery of fellowship of any expert bodies or organization rather for a PhD.
He made the location clean while receiving the WAPCMLS led by its President, Nafiu Amidu, in his workplace remaining Wednesday, announcing “even as fellowship is the very best professional qualification for expert in any non-instructional enterprise, PhD is the very best instructional degree inside the university gadget anywhere within the global”.
He stated there was no basis for argument over the prevalence of a PhD over a professional fellowship, stressing that such an argument was tantamount to a waste of time.
“…having a fellowship is good however in case you need to have interaction in coaching and studies in the college machine, you must not downplay pursuit of a PhD, you cannot even examine your research in doing a PhD together with your expert or fellowship studies,” he stated.
The NUC position became reiterated with the aid of Ade Adejumo, the Ibadan zonal coordinator of ASUU.
He stated having a non-PhD holder as vice-chancellor is an ‘aberration’.
“The be counted is clear-cut. A fellowship is by no means an equal and cannot be substituted for a PhD. They are not the identical element and the NUC that is the regulatory frame has stated on that.
“They are in no way the identical factor. You can not supply what you don’t have. In this situation, the controversy about PhD or Fellowship isn't there in any respect. People should not confuse the general public. A vice-chancellor is each an administrative and academic leader. It is wrong to have a vice-chancellor who can not go to class and teach. So, how will a non PhD holder VC train PhD students?”
Not authentic?
But Idowu Olayinka, a former vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, disagrees.
Mr Olayinka advised PREMIUM TIMES that the governing council of the organization has the proper to set up hints and select applicants who meet the tips are qualified for the position.
“The essential element is for the governing council to set pointers. For example, in 2010, the University of Ibadan governing council said you have to be a professor to be certified which means that a candidate who bagged professorship within a yr can practice then
“But five years later in 2015, the council said you have to had been a professor for 10 years earlier than you're qualified. So, you can not shift the intention put up, the governing council ought to have determined the conditions inside the advertorial. If the conditions say PhD or fellowship, and applicants shortlisted meet that, there's nothing incorrect.”
Also, a member of the LASU governing council who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on the condition of now not being stated, for fear of being singled out unfairly for punishment, said the governing council “had zero enter in setting the hints for appointment of the vice-chancellor”.
“Even whilst the primary advert became made, the council by no means met to study the info of the advert. It became after the advert that it was introduced before the council for retroactive approval.
“This method an action changed into taken and you are asking the council to approve after it's been carried out. There become no debate at the council and later the exercise led into trouble (till the governor cancelled the method).
“On the modern day ad, the council became now not aware. Even (as a) member of the council, I only noticed it inside the news and realised that they have placed PhD or Fellowship,” the supply stated.
The registrar of the college, Yinka Amuni, did not reply to more than one requests for remark despatched to him on WhatsApp and as SMS.
He also did no longer go back multiple calls made to his mobile phone.
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