UNIBEN - TO BE OR NOT
TO BE?
It is no longer news that the
Let me explain in some detail. A University anywhere is a community of
scholars and students engaged in research, teaching, learning and service
delivery. What the best Universities in the world strive for is to recruit the
best students and staff from any part of the world to propel their teaching and
research programs. In turn, high quality
teaching and research emanating from such Universities provide the tonic for
community engagement, and is the basis of the development of most emerging
economies. A Vice-Chancellor epitomizes
the highest ideals of a University and the occupant of the post should be
someone with the tallest vision, to whom all brilliant minds in the institution
would look up to. He should be someone
who would be respected by his academic peers both nationally and
internationally, which in itself will draw immense attention and recognition to
the University. Such a Vice-Chancellor should necessarily be selected based on
time-honored merit criteria, with the possibility that anyone with the
appropriate and most viable credentials should emerge as Vice-Chancellor.
The most dangerous trend the crisis in UNIBEN has taken so far
is the open discussion and endorsement of ethnicity. Not only is ethnicity being touted as the
major and sole criteria to be used in appointments and promotion to senior
academic and administrative positions in the University, ethnicity now
determines the pattern of personal and group relationships in the
University. This is a sure dangerous
trend as in future, it will discourage first class academics from other parts
of the country from coming to the University of Benin. Ethnicity will also discourage international students
and scholars from the University, which will reduce the international
staff/students component in the University, a major criteria now being used to
rank Universities globally. We must not
create the impression that other ethnic groups or nationals are not welcome in
UNIBEN, or that were Obama to be in the University, he would probably not rise
to the post of Dean or Vice-Chancellor.
Another way that ethnicity will affect the future growth of
academics in the University as well as the University itself is that once
ethnicity is used to appoint a Vice-Chancellor, it will create an indelible
impression in the mind of young academics that what you need to do to grow in
the system is to cling to ethnic pattern of relationships, to play politics and
to attend ethnic meetings. This will
inevitably lead to poor academic and research outputs, which will make such
scholars unmarketable outside the University of Benin and reduce the overall
growth and influence of the University.
We would have ethnic champions everywhere, those who will fight for
ethnic rights and privileges rather than those who will come to a reasoned
conclusion on an issue based on logical arguments. Such academics will eventually lose out
because in today’s globalised world, some of the most endearing and rewarding relationships
that academics can build are those that cross continents, regions and
boundaries rather than those that are situated within clans and lineages.
Part of the ethnicity agenda is the current externalization
of the affairs of the University, which also portends a bad omen for the
University. Affairs of the University of
Benin are now being discussed and interfered with by all manners of people,
including those who know what the university is and those who do not. Indeed, the University of Benin matter is now
being discussed in beer parlours and markets by politicians, traders, imams,
priests, juju priests and indeed, by anyone who has a direct or indirect
relationship with the university, with each purporting to have a solution to
the logjam.
These external influences have two major adverse effects on
the University. First, it will
compromise the academic autonomy of the University such that decisions which
should normally be based on rigorous debates and arguments will in future be
likely based on primordial sentiments, which will not augur well for the growth
and development of the University. It
would for instance mean that in future, a decision which normally should be
taken by Senate or Council may first be discussed by an external stakeholder group
before it is tabled before the University committee. Debates will then be tainted to favor the
decision previously reached at the external stakeholders’ meeting.
Secondly, the involvement of external influences will lead to
compromises being made which will not augur well for the University. It will lead to corruptive influences within
the University, which will greatly compromise the quality of governance in the
University. For example, there is no
reason why the same external influences that assisted someone to become a
Vice-Chancellor, will not also insist on influencing appointments, promotions,
admissions and contract awards in the University, a situation that would
greatly interfere with the fortunes of the University. The same corruptive influences that are today
endangering the Nigerian state will take over the University and manipulate it
negatively to personal and group advantages but to the detriment of the
University.
Indeed, the whole essence of University autonomy which ASUU
has repeatedly canvassed for is now in danger of been systematically eroded at
the University of Benin. University
autonomy has now been privatized at the University of Benin, and is now being
sold to unpatriotic and self-serving elements, who are bent on putting the
fortunes of the University into their private pockets. The academic community has been cajoled and
intimidated, and now looks servile, humbled and timid. This is certainly not what a true academic
community devoted to excellence in teaching and research should be.
As a patriotic alumnus of the University of Benin, I am
deeply worried for the University. In
all we do, we must think of the greater good of the University rather than our
personal or sub-group interests. Ethnic
or other parochial sentiments will probably serve the short-term interest of
some individuals, but it will certainly not serve the long term interest of
those individuals, the University and the community. A Vice-Chancellor who emerges from the ongoing
selection process must not be made to feel that he or any particular group owns
the office, or that he owns any specific allegiance to anyone. A University deserves a Vice-Chancellor that
will best represent its interest and that will efficiently manage its resources
in accordance with its strategic plans.
Such a Vice-Chancellor should emerge as a consensus candidate from among
the University community after passing the acid tests that are known to the
University traditions and practice. That
way, he will gain national and international respect and will be answerable to
the immediate academic and administrative needs of the University, rather than
to the parochial desires of some individuals or groups of individuals. Collectively, the University must reject
arbitrariness and the erosion of its foundational principles, philosophy, and
precepts in the conduct of its major functions.
That we have a University of Benin today that has been
adjudged as being the best University in Nigeria is due to the hard work,
perseverance and resourcefulness of its founding fathers, and the fact that
they were able to resist primordial pressures that have always reared their
heads in governance of the University.
The present generation must do no less; otherwise, they will be exposed
to the harsh judgment of history.
P O UADIA, PHD
Professor
of Biochemistry
World
Bank’s Robert S. McNamara Fellow
Rockefeller
Foundation Biotechnology Career Fellow