By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
Some indigenes of Ile – Ife, the ancestral cradle of the Yoruba race, on Monday, invaded the campus of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, Osun State with charms and other fetish objects, to press for a replacement of the new vice chancellor with an indigene.
This is in their Determined to forcefully install an Ile Ife indigene as the next Vice-Chancellor of the University.
Stonix News learnt that the protesters dressed in occult regalia, shut the two major gates thereby preventing staff, students and other stakeholders from entering or exiting the university.
The protest by the Ife indigenes started last Thursday, 17th March, 2022 shortly after the University Governing Council, led by its Chairman, Owelle Oscar Udoji, announced a professor of Agricultural Economics, Professor Adebayo Simeon BAMIRE, as the 12th substantive Vice-Chancellor.
But this did not go down well with the indigenes of the host communities who are insisting that the VC must emerge from the community.
Stonix News reports that on the first day of the protest, the traditionalist initially blocked the main gate of the university and threatened staff and students to stay away from campus.
The protest took a violent turn on the second day as the protesters reportedly beat up workers, particularly the staff of the Security Unit, and vandalized their office at the Main Gate.
It was gathered that some of the security staff were taken to the University’s Health Centre for medical treatment.
But on Monday, March 21, 2022, things reportedly took a more dangerous turn as the indigenes beat up some OAU students who they met at the gate.
They were said to have blocked the two major gates as early as 6: 00 a.m, invading the campus with charms, and other fetish items.
It was gathered that the protesters assembled at the Motion Ground of the University Secretariat, dressed in all-white occultic traditional attire and chanting incantations while performing rituals.
Meanwhile, a statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the university, Abiodun Olarewaju, disclosed that the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board shortlisted 16 candidates for an interaction for the post of Vice-Chancellor.
The statement noted that the candidates, whose names were arranged in alphabetical order, were called in for interaction and each was scored by each member of the Selection Board.
Olanrewaju disclosed further that the score sheets of each Assessor for the individual candidates were dropped into an envelope and sealed, with the signature of the Chairman of Council on each one.
According to him, at the end of the interaction, the sealed envelopes were opened one after the other and announced to all the members.
“The score sheets were thereafter passed around for sighting. Then, the scores of the candidates were collated with Microsoft Excel and ranked from the highest to the lowest.
“The candidate with the highest score was eventually announced as the Vice Chancellor by the Governing Council.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no member of the Board had foreknowledge of each candidate’s score before the final collation at the end of the interaction,” he further stated.
He said the “University was aware of the false presentation of the alphabetical arrangement of the applicants as the authentic list of applicants’ performance where unfounded allegations have been made of changing the ‘leading’ candidate.”
He affirmed that due processes were followed and merit was the basis for the appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor.
The University Management, however, implored the leadership of Ile- Ife to call the protesters “to order so that the cordial relationship, which has been in existence, between the University and the Ile- Ife communities is not jeopardised.”
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