President Mohammedu Buhari has announced the setting up of a monitoring mechanism on the selection of University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor.

This was disclosed on Tuesday in the President’s statement delivered by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Alhaji Abubakar Rasheed, at the Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan, during the 72nd Foundation Day/ Convocation Ceremony of the Institution.

Speaking on the accusation and counter-accusation trailing the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, President Buhari said the Government has set in motion several mechanisms to monitor the selection process with a view to taking appropriate measures to ensure that the processes are conducted in an open, fair and transparent manner and that all violators are properly sanctioned.

He also stressed that the Government will not hesitate to dissolve or suspend all erring governing councils or university managements found to have fallen short of the standard expected of them as leaders of citadels of learning in our country.

President Buhari  warned against any form of manipulation by the governing council and the management of the institution adding that his administration would not hesitate to dissolve or suspend any council or its leadership found wanting in observing due process.

According to him, the government is determined to continue to fight corruption at all levels, including in our tertiary institutions. It is not useful to talk of adequate funding of education if our universities are mired in crisis, confusion, fraud, and lack of institutional vision.

President Buhari in his message maintained that the Pro-Chancellors, in their dual role as chairpersons of governing councils and chairpersons of the five-person selection committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors, must be prepared to bear full responsibility for the management or mismanagement of the process.

Prior to this, the University’s Governing Council chairperson, Joshua Waklek, suspended the process of announcing a new VC following a mass protest by the non-academic staff of the university under the umbrella of the Joint Action Committee (JAC).