By DADA AYOKHAI
The Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma community is eagerly awaiting the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor, following the successful completion of the selection process by the Governing Council.
However, Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, appears to be facing a challenging decision in choosing one of the three candidates recommended by the Council.
According to sources, the Governor would have had a straightforward decision but for the intense ethnic politics surrounding the appointment, with strong demands for a candidate from Edo Central extraction. This development has, seemingly, delayed the process, creating uncertainty within the University.
It was reliably gathered that a group of people from Edo Central Senatorial District are putting undue pressure on the Governor to consider restarting the selection process. This move, however, runs counter to the enabling laws of the University.
Barrister Vincent Enadeghe Osajie, a Benin-based legal practitioner from Edo Central, expressed concern that any attempt by the Governor to disregard the established process would lead to litigation and plunge the University into crisis. He noted that the Governing Council had followed due process, from internal and external advertisements to the submission of the top three candidates’ names to the Governor.
Osajie opined that this is not the time for an Esan crusade for a substantive Vice Chancellor, given that the two top candidates from the Senatorial District failed the morality test. Instead, he suggested that the people should go back to the drawing board and await the end of the tenure of the substantive Vice Chancellor to be appointed.
He further stated that the current Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Sunday Olowo Samuel, who came third, is not doing badly, and if the Governor picks him, it would not be out of place. “History has only repeated itself,” Osajie said.
Recall that two reputable Esan socio-cultural groups, Esan People’s Progressive Union (EPPU) and Ibhioje Progressive Union (IPU), have consistently urged the Governor to prioritize merit over ethnicity in the appointment of the Vice Chancellor. In various releases and media interactions, they emphasized that the Governor, being a true son of Esan land, would not compromise standards and moral etiquette for ethnic considerations.
The groups stated, “We desire an Esan Vice Chancellor, but the circumstances have deprived us of that opportunity. Anyone still clamoring for an Esan Vice Chancellor now may not be a true son or is self-seeking.”
They noted that the university has enjoyed relative peace and achieved landmark successes under the leadership of the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Sunday Olowo Samuel.
The groups advised the Governor to maintain the momentum, saying, “You don’t change a performing team. The Governor should go ahead with the third on the list, so the university can move forward.” By prioritizing merit, the Governor would ensure the university’s continued progress and stability.
AAU Vice Chancellorship: Governor Okpebholo Faces Tough Decision
