Selection of new Unimaid VC postponed

As the tenure of the current Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri winds up the process for the selection of his replacement came to a halt at the weekend following disagreements among Council members over ‘due process’, Sunday Trust learnt.

Sunday Trust gathered that the tenure of the current Vice Chancellor, Professor M. M. Daura, would expire by June 2nd, this year and that in line with the requirements of the law, the position of the VC was advertised in two national dailies. Consequently, eleven candidates were said to have applied and were all shortlisted for selection interview.

However, at the proposed meeting scheduled at Kanem Suites located at Utako in Abuja on Friday, where the reports of the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board was to be deliberated upon, there was a disagreement the presentation of the reports.

A member of the Council in attendance at the meeting told Sunday Trust that an influential member of the panel had earlier indicated that he was not going to allow the report to be deliberated upon because he had been put under immense pressure to work in favour of a particular interest.

It was further gathered that the University Governing Council had earlier constituted a Joint Council and Senate Selection Board as required by law comprising two external members of the Council, appointed by the Federal Government, two professors from Senate, who are not members of Council, and the Pro-Chancellor as the Chairman. The Selection Board is said to be vested with full powers to establish the criteria for the selection and appointment of a Vice Chancellor.

The members of the Selection Board were: Alhaji Lawan Bukar Marguba, Pro-Chancellor/ Chairman; Dr. Paul Attah, an engineer and Mr. Innocent Oparadike, one time editor of the New Nigerian, as external members; and, Professor B. R. Badejo of the Department of Languages and Linguistics and Professor Abdurrahman A. Tahir, the Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, as representatives of Senate.

Attempt to reach the ProChancellor for comments last night proved unsuccessful as his mobile lines were unreachable. Also several phone calls put across to the Vice Chancellor last night, including a text message were unanswered. Contacted on phone, Ahmed Tanko, the Information Officer of the University of Maiduguri said he was in a position to comment on the matter.