From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Asiwaju of Ijesaland, Yinka Fasuyi, has faulted Governor Ademola Adeleke for unilaterally selecting principal officers for the university of Ilesa, Osun State.
He posted that the appointment is a breach of universal best practice and the officers may lead to a relationship of ‘Yes Daddy’ between the university and the state government.
The Ijesa leader in a letter to the governor Friday commended the choice of Ijesa’s son as the vice chancellor, saying “We do not doubt the academic prowess, huge competence, enterprise loaded, and visionary capacity but we would have preferred him to emerge from a competitive contest with other similarly qualified candidates to ensure that the best available hand emerges at the end of the exercise.
Governor Adeleke had appointed Prof Taiwo Asaolu as the Vice-Chancellor of Ilesa University while Funso Ojo was appointed as registrar, Dr. Mukaila Oyekanmi as bursar and Adewale Ogunsipe was appointed as librarian.
The Ijesa leader stressed that “a situation where the state government unilaterally selects both the university governing council and principal officers may eventually lead to a relationship of “Yes Daddy” between the university and the state government which is considered detrimental to the success and growth of the new university.
He said the danger in the approach employed for the appointment is that the university principal officers are likely to have their allegiance to their political appointors as against their academic community.
“This approach could also threaten the university’s adherence to the principle of university autonomy in the process of its policy and day-to-day running.
“This approach could further complicate and undermine the capacity of the university for independent decision-making since the university governing council will also be solely appointed by the political class,” he added.
Fasuyi, however, warned thee appointed officers to realize that all eyes are on them, saying that they would need to work very hard with visible and sustainable results to begin to earn the respect and confidence of the majority of stakeholders.