Dialogues: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - DEVELOPMENTS AT THE NEW UNIVERSITY IN OTUEKE, NIGERTIA

My dear UU

Thank you for this information and your decorous posting.

The “Alele Must Go” campaign was well covered in Nigerian newspapers at the time. If I remember correctly, the campaign was successful. Was she replaced by a Benin area vice chancellor?.

From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Uyilawa Usuanlele
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2014 5:43 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - DEVELOPMENTS AT THE NEW UNIVERSITY IN OTUEKE, NIGERTIA

Dear AO,

It was not Benin area people who wanted Prof. Alele Williams out of UNIBEN. If you have the evidence of Benin area people, kindly provide it. The crux of the matter in the struggle against Prof Alele-William's was the anti-peoples policy of SAP being pursued by Babangida, which ASUU and NANS opposed. The front liners in the struggle were Prof. Sagay (Itsekiri and cousin to Alele-Williams), late Prof. Festus Iyayi (Esan), Prof. Tunde Fatunde (Yoruba), Dr. Osagie Obayuwanna (Benin) with the last three being ASUU activists. Alele-Williams succeeded in getting them out of the university. Don't forget that Babangida complained that some of these lecturers were teaching "what they were not paid to teach." So i don't know where and how you got your "Benin area" people.

Uyilawa Usuanlele

From: AnunobyO@lincolnu.edu
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 11:22:34 -0500
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - DEVELOPMENTS AT THE NEW UNIVERSITY IN OTUEKE, NIGERTIA

Thanks for this information.

I am honestly not surprised that BA and other appointees are having to deal with the issues described below. The surprise for me is that the issues did not come to the surface sooner. Nigeria’s federalism model seems to me to be lacking in goodwill and trust. The model encourages indigenes to believe that they have a first (and sometimes sole) entitlement to the benefits of all federal investments in their home town, local government, and state. They tend therefore not to trust non-indigenes who are in many cases appointed to lead the federal institutions on the basis of merit. They indigenes feel entitled to work opportunities, contracts, and favors regardless of qualifications and merit. Their concern is more about controlling the investments than getting important and urgent things done.

If my memory serves me right, this is not a new challenge. The Biobaku challenge to the Eni Njoku vice chancellorship of the University of Lagos in the 1960s was informed by this sense of entitlement. Eni Njoku was wrongly vilified as is happening to you now by some area indigenes. University students were more broad-minded then and many Western Region area students supported Eni Njoku against Biobaku. Kayode Adams is an elegant example of one such student. His resolute position in support of Eni Njoku altered the cause of his life. Grace Alele was Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin. Benin area people wanted her out. She was wrongly vilified. It did not matter to her accusers/oppressors that she was an indigene of the state. Ditto some other universities.

It is for outcomes such as BA referenced in detail below that Nigeria urgently needs to revisit her federalism model. I expect to be accused of not comparing like with like but why do the federal and all state governments not vigorously enforce the free movement of labor in the country as is the case in the more “advanced” countries? It is one citizenship that all Nigerians have is it not?

One would think the Otueke and Bayelsa State people would be just happy that a roundly qualified Nigerian left a secure job and a fairly good life to help to build their town, state, country and educate fellow citizens. Their cryptic cause is clear. They want a son-of-the-soil as vice chancellor. They may need to be respectfully reminded that they have had sons-of-the-soil as state governors, legislators, and local government officials with not a lot to show for them.

There will always be some legitimate complaints from the community and protesters that will need to be addressed. Many of those will take time and require scares resources, thought, and action. Communication and transparent decision-making and actions will always help. I know however that it seldom easy to satisfy a people who believe that you are not the one.

From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mobolaji Aluko
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2014 2:29 AM
To: USAAfrica Dialogue
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - DEVELOPMENTS AT THE NEW UNIVERSITY IN OTUEKE, NIGERTIA

oa:

Thanks for your inquiry.

There have been twelve (not four or five) new federal universities set up since 2011 (nine in 2011, three in 2014), with nine of them presently operational, having made three admissions of students already.

Their locations are given below:

Virtually all of them are located in rural areas, on virgin land, and hence have the same problems first of land controversies as well as heightened community expectations, the latter accentuated because political considerations of executive action (state and federal governors) went into their siting. The biting unemployment situation in the country does not make the issue easier either, with all the VCs in the midst of those troubles.

The problems of Ekiti (Oye vs. Ikole communities) are quite historically well-known, while Lokoja and Lafia have serious political problems because of gubernatorial change-overs and attempts to change over land and towns previously given when the universities were first established. Gombe has slightly less the same problem. The VC of Dustin-Ma is in court for baseless accusations of favoritism. The name FUN had to be changed to FUNAI because the communities of Alike and Ikwo demanded that Ndufu could not have only its name in the university when other communities also donated land. Both Wukari and Lafia are shut down now because of serious communal violence in Taraba and Nassarawa States surrounding their campuses, and affecting students and staff; [ I believe that Lafia returned a few days ago to complete their exams, and will go on vacation immediately afterwards.]. Even before then, it has been a challenge asking communities to leave university land already given over to Lafia and Lokoja.

So different ones of us VCs have had different socio-political problems, some we can tackle, others beyond our payscale....but tackle them we must, that is why we are fairly reasonably well paid, to tackle problems! :-) We talk and meet among ourselves all the time, and meet with the NUC and FME, but these are NOT insurmountable problems, just part of the Nigerian terrain at our present level of socio-political development and early years of our new universities.

So I don't want us to hype the problems,

Now you hear more about Otuoke more because:

(1) it is the President's hometown; for personal and political reasons.

(2) I am here with you on these Naija forums. Was here before I became VC (since 1993), am continuing here, and will remain here afterwards! :-)

Finally, when you add in some of the communal problems that you hear about in other federal universities (eg FUTO, UPH, UNN) and polytechnics (eg Oko), Otuoke's own is trivial, honest....

And there you have it. It is a wonderful odyssey....

Bolaji Aluko

VC, FU Otuoke

PS: I encourage you to visit our websites to see our activities - and I once again encourage people to visit and choose to come and spend some academic time - or re-locate!

http://www.fuotuoke.edu.ng/infos/nine-fed-universities

Table of Locations, Websites and Principal Staff (VCs, Registrars) of Nine New Federal Univerisities

S/N

Location

University Website

Vice-Chancellor

Registrar

Dutse, Jigawa State

(Dutse LG)

www.fud.edu.ng

Prof. Jibrila Dahiru Amin

Alhaji Yusuf Adamu

Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State

(Dutsin-Ma LG)

www.fudm.edu.ng

Professor James Ortese I. Ayatse

Mr. Abubakar Yusuf Muhammad

Kashere, Gombe State

(Akko LG)

www.fukashere.edu.ng

Prof Mohammed Kabiru Farouk

Dr. Abubakar Bafeto

Lafia, Nasarawa State

(Lafia LG)

www.fulafia.edu.ng

Prof. Ekanem Ikpi Braide

Dr. Idris Othman Jibrin

Lokoja, Kogi State

(Lokoja LG)

www.fulokoja.edu.ng

Prof. Abdulmumini Hassan Rafindadi

Mrs. Habiba Adeiza

Ndufu-Alike-Ikwo, Ebonyi State

(Ikwo LG)

www.funai.edu.ng

Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe

Mr. G.O. Chukwu

Otuoke, Bayelsa State

(Ogbia LG)

www.fuotuoke.edu.ng

Prof. Mobolaji Ebenezer Aluko

Mr. David Ujode Suwari

Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State (Oye LG)

www.fuoye.edu.ng

Prof. Charles Asuzu (from March 2013)

Prof. Chinedum Nebo (from February 2011)

Mr. Daniel Abiodun Adeyemo

Wukari, Taraba State

(Wukari LG)

www.fuwukari.edu.ng

Prof. Geoffrey Okogbaa

Mr. Ibrahim Jalingo

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Sunday, September 21, 2014

RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - DEVELOPMENTS AT THE NEW UNIVERSITY IN OTUEKE, NIGERTIA

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