Victimisation, using and dumping heads of tertiary institutions in Nigeria

Victimisation, using and dumping heads of tertiary institutions in Nigeria

It has become a common phenomenon in some Academic Institutions in the Country, Nigeria for some Governments of the day to inherit Heads of Tertiary Institutions only for them to be victimized and even after removing them, government would appoint Acting Officers or transitional Heads of Tertiary Institutions and later dump them.

Academic Institutions have their respective rules that govern the appointments of their Heads, most especially; Vice Chancellors, Provosts and Rectors.President and Governors newly assuming office often rubbish these rules to pave way for assertion of authorities and prejudice perhaps due to naivety, misinformation or sentimentality.

It is common these days that whenever a new government is formed, the first target is usually the tertiary institutions, receiving bashes and lashes while some political thugs hail their principals at this ugly scenario of misfeasance.

In the process of descending heavily upon tertiary institutions, various suggestions surprisingly would come from ignorant members of the public more than those from the experienced academic world.

Also, inherited Officers face tribulations and Acting Officers surface from Government side. In spite of the fact that the acting Officers always put in their best to move their respective Institutions forward, they are dumped at last. The International best practise is that, when an Officer has acted for upwards of 6 months an no query and no noticeable error, (s)he is made substantive. Reverse is the situation in most instances in Nigeria. 

Even some acting Officers are coerced into politicking without self- will to test their loyalty, yet they will boot them out. Instead of confirming their appointments, they would ease them out.

Interestingly, those appointed to take over as substantive Heads are equally maneuvered to politick and in 6 months, they become a cynosure of watch from the political class. In no distant time, they would be rated as non performing even when they excel at their duty posts and if a new government emerges thereafter, they are tongue lashed, blackmailed and eventually removed.

This vicious cycle continues. In Ekiti State, history has it that Fayose in 2014, broke the vicious cycle of witch hunt of the Heads of Tertiary Institutionsin by failing to bow to political pressures and petitions that he should drop all the Heads of the three tertiary institutions inherited from Fayemi. He openly announced that he would never sack them, discovering that most of the petitions came from overambitious staff of the institutions and collaborators from outside. Prof. Aina of EKSU,, Prof. Fransisca Aladejana of College of Education, Ikere and Dr. Bayo Ojo of College of Health Sciences and Technology, Ijero Ekiti who were appointed by Fayemi prior to 2014 were inherited by Fayose and never removed them.

Surprisingly, Fayemi got there now in 2018 and began his witch hunt of public servants from the heads of tertiary institutions inherited from Fayose. He appointed acting Principal Officers at EKSU and College of Education, Ikere but dropped them at last. College of Health Technology, Ijero was worsened by removing the Acting Provost inherited from Fayose and appointed a Nurse by profession and retired Permanent Secretary with only first degree as the Sole Administrator in charge of an academic community whereby Postgraduate degree holders were uncountable. 

Somebody who has no postgraduate academic qualification to fit in to the post of Provost, now controls a cream of intellectuals, earning the full entitlements of an established substantive Provost  in addition to her pension and gratuity, contrary to regulations. Also, as Sole Administrator, she was ridiculously mandated to implement an unpublished tissue paper but tagged white paper of a Visitation Panel on which she served as a member. The white/tissue paper is a product of an Executive Order and the content of which remains on the chest up of the Administrator without allowing public access to it. Also the Executive Order has been found undermining the College Law in all intent and purpose.

In the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, the white/tissue paper is now the only instrument being used by its Governing Council to run the affairs of the Institution on daily basis, prejudicial to the College Law. Prof. Mojisola Oyarekwa who was inherited from Fayose was booted out. The Deputy Provost, Aturamu was unjustly ousted also.

In EKSU, a Professor of Test and Measurement, Samuel Oye Bandele, the Vice Chancellor inherited from Fayose was booted out. The Acting Vice Chancellor who has functioned for over six months without blemish did not have her appointment confirmed, instead, Fayemi appointed a new Vice Chancellor. 

The victimization principle, elimination by substitution theory, and the use and dump system that happened to them in the tertiary institutions in Ekiti State have all led to distortion of professional sequence,  disunity and disaffection among the academic staff of the institutions.

Fayemi might want to transfer aggression. His dislike of Fayose and his appointees might want to be his reason for doing this but if Fayose did like him, he would have lost most of his supposed friends of today. 

Nigeria should rethink about all these practices so that Tertiary Institution staff can have sense of belonging and not to feel demoralized.

The earlier Fayemi and others in his shoe stopped playing politics with the future of the students for personal aggrandizement the better of our state and Nigeria at large.

Adebomojo Akeem Olaniyi.

Igede Ekiti