Joseph Odok|16 December 2015|6:30am
PROFESSOR FRANCIS BISONG PETITIONSPROFESSOR ZANA AKPAGU: ALLEGES VIOLATION
OF GUIDELINES FOR THE EMERGENCES OF PROFESSOR ZANA AKPAGU AS VICE CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR
Prof Francis Bisong, one of the contestant in the last Vice Chancellorship race of the University of Calabar has Petitioned Professor Zana Akpagu to the Federal Ministry of Education over what he termed a violation of the process in the emergence of Prof
Zana Akpagu as Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar.
It is to be recalled that Professor Offiong had earlier presented a document he obtained from the Federal Ministry of Education that pegs the professorial age for the qualification of a candidate to contest for the position of a Vice Chancellor at 10 years of
professorial experience. This policy statement of the Ministry of Education did not go well with many
staff of the university and insulted the sensibilities of many well meaning lecturers who began
intensive research to investigate the strength and source of the policy directions of the Ministry of
Education.
A group of young lecturers cutting across all faculties and tribes in the University of Calabar "The Academy " quickly began building a process that will bring about the emergence of the best candidate as the Vice Chancellor. The interest of "The Academy" was mainly to secure peace, best practices and
compliance with relevant laws.
After due investigation, the Academy found out the following:
1. That many universities have acted in respect of the 1999 Federal Government/ASUU agreement
that gave autonomy to the University Council. Even University of Calabar has acted in violation of the 10 years experience. Prof Asuquo was a Vice Chancellor at a professorial age of 5 years and Prof
Epoke at 7years professorial age. Besides some universities like Bayaro University and Federal
University of Technology Yola also acted in violation of the policies of the Federal Ministry of Education
2. That with the autonomy granted the universities, the university councils are empowered to act
according to the peculiar situation of each each university and may differ in the implementation of
the 10 years professorial requirement.
3. That University of Calabar had had Vice Chancellors from both the central and southern senatorial districts with none from the northern
senatorial district.
Armed with these findings, 'The Academy' made a memo to the university council of University of
Calabar urging the Council to reconsider the directives of the ministry of education and act in
autonomy by reducing the years for for the qualification of a candidate to contest vice chancellorship to 5 years of professorial experience
thereby creating room for a wider participation.
In the wisdom of the Council and acting in accordance with the university autonomy, the University of Calabar Council reached a unanimous decision and pegged the qualification age of a candidate for vice chancellorship at 7. This decision was accepted by many as it accommodated more candidates and respected the university autonomy granted to the
university councils.
With the professorial age settled a process for the emergence of the vice chancellor was kick started.
All candidate presented themselves for screening with none raising any petition before and after the
announcement and inauguration of Prof. Zana Akpagu as the new Vice Chancellor of the University.
Be that as it may, the "The Academy" was yesterday invited as stakeholders in the university by a fact finding committee set up by the Ministry of Education to give their input on their assessment of the process that led to emergence of Prof. Zana Akpagu. In the eyes of The Academy, the process for the emergence of Zana Akpagu as the Vice Chancellor is free, fair, and in compliance with the autonomy granted to universities. The process is equitable in that it gives "the north" an opportunity to share in the privilege of producing a vice chancellor.
Remember concession was given to Prof Asuquo from "the south" who became Vice Chancellor with
professorial age of 5 and Prof Epoke from "central" who became Vice Chancellor with professorial age
of 7. With Zana Akpagu participating and duly emerging as the Vice Chancellor, equity demands
that he be given a free chance to concentrate.
The burden of proof of the abuse of the process for the emergence of Prof Zana Akpagu as Vice
Chancellor is on Prof. Francis Bisong. Stay tuned as events unrolls.
Joseph Odok
Is a University Don & Social Critic
