The extension of tenure of the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Clement Adebooye by Governor Ademola Adeleke has continued to generate reactions across the state.
InsightMedia reported that the Governor, who is the Visitor to the institution, made the announcement on Monday during the inauguration of the newly constituted Governing Council of the institution.
Adeleke said the two-year extension was to ensure no vacuum exists in UNIOSUN leadership.
What does the law say?
According to UNIOSUN Establishment Law 2006, no provision was made for extension of tenure of a Vice-Chancellor and none of the three former substantive VCs had such extensions.
The Act in First Schedule, section 3 sub-section 6 pegs the tenure of a VC to five years without option of renewal.
The section reads, “The Vice-Chencellor shall hold office for a term of five years, and shall not be eligible for re-appointment. His terms and conditions of service shall be embodied in a contract under the seal of the university.”
Assembly may rush to amend the law
Sources within the government confided in InsightMedia that the House of Assembly may quickly amend the UNIOSUN Establishment Law in order to accommodate the announcement by the governor.
The source said the flurry of reactions generated by the announcement has informed the action of the government.
“The House of Assembly may be asked to amend the law to accommodate the extension as made by the governor,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity told InsightMedia on Tuesday.
ASUU holds Congress
The Academic Staff Union of University, UNIOSUN Chapter has scheduled a Congress for Tuesday.
InsightMedia also gathered that the meeting, which has earlier been scheduled before the Monday announcement, has the VC succession as part of its agenda.
Sources within the university campus said several members of ASUU have expressed opposition to the development, describing it as “illegality”.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Ademola Adesoji confirmed the existence of the law but revealed that the Governor said he has “formalized it.”
“If you listen to what he (Governor Adeleke) said, he said when he first told the VC, the VC rejected it but he went behind the scenes to formalise it”, Adesoji said.
When asked if the formalisation translates to the amendment, Adesoji said “I can’t speak for the Governor, it’s the duty of his spokesperson to confirm that”.
Efforts to get reaction from the government failed as both Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi and Spokesperson to the Governor, Olawale Rasheed did not pick calls while messages to their lines were not answered.
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