Disquiet In UNIOSUN As Adeleke Extends VC Tenure, Violates 5-Year Single-Term Law

Disquiet In UNIOSUN As Adeleke Extends VC Tenure, Violates 5-Year Single-Term Law

There is disquiet in Osun State University, UNIOSUN, following Governor Ademola Adeleke’s decision to extend the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Clement Adebooye, by two years.

OSUN DEFENDER reports that Adeleke, who is the visitor to the University, announced the extension of Prof. Adebooye on Monday during the inauguration of the newly constituted Governing Council of the university.

However, senior sources who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER said the action directly violates the Osun State University (Establishment) Law, 2006.

In the document obtained by OSUN DEFENDER, the Schedule to the law, which governs the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor, is explicit that the Vice-Chancellor shall serve for a single term only.

Specifically, the law provides: “The Vice-Chancellor shall hold office for a term of five years, and shall not be eligible for re-appointment. His terms and conditions of service shall be embodied in a contract under the seal of the university.”

The law further outlines a detailed process for the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor involving advertisement, a search team, and a Joint Council/Senate Selection Board, but contains no provision for extension of tenure under any circumstance.

Governor Adeleke, according to a statement by the University Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji, said the decision was taken in the best interest of the university to strengthen its governance structure, ensure continuity and avert any vacuum that could disrupt the institution’s administration.

But some staff of the institution who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on condition of anonymity for fear of intimidation, argued that the Governor cannot override an express provision of the law.

A senior lecturer described the extension as illegal and an affront to due process.

According to the don, “the law is unambiguous and the only option available to the Visitor after five years is to commence the process for a new appointment, not to elongate the tenure of the incumbent.”

Another staff member also faulted the manner in which the decision was taken, alleging that if there had been any amendment to the law, it was done without the knowledge of the university community.

The staff member said it was not fair for government to amend a law in secret and then act on it.

There is also a growing suspicion within the university that the extension is politically motivated.

Some members of staff expressed fear that the current two-year extension may be followed by another extension in order to make it four years and align the VC’s tenure with the remaining period of the governor’s administration.

They argued that such a move would further erode the autonomy of the university and reduce the VC’s office to a political appointment.

A senior lecturer at the University questioned whether the Vice Chancellor could not nominate another capable person to take over from him, alleging that Prof. Adebooye might be genuinely interested in staying in the office beyond the five-year tenure.

“Professor Labo Popoola left office for him after his tenure, and it has been the same since the establishment of the university. His the Vice Chancellor telling us that there is no capable person to become the new VC of the university or he is genuinely interested and work his way around it,” the senior lecturer queried.

The staff demanded that the government come clean on the matter and make public the legal basis for the extension.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, proved abortive at the time of this report.