Requirements For New DELSU VC Exclude Faculties Of Clinical Medicine, Others, Group Raises Alarm

…Appeals To Oborevwori To Intervene

By Daniel Dafe

The Integrity Academic bombers and self-acclaimed group of whistleblowers has drawn the attention of Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori Governor Delta State to the unfolding situation of what the group described as “the orchestrated attempt to unjustly exclude the very important group of clinical lecturers with the FELLOWSHIP and MD degree holders from the selection process to pick the next Vice-Chancellor of Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka.

The group in a statement on Wednesday claimed that the Governing Council was pushed to this position by internal academic staff members of the Governing Council, saying that the “criteria enunciated for the current Vice-Chancellor selection process are novel and certainly targeted at shutting out a very important group – the clinical lecturers of the faculties of Clinical Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences and Dentistry from the process.”

According to the group, “the goal of this action is still strange,” saying it “completely negates the existing extant guidelines and practices in the process of selection of Vice-Chancellor in Nigerian universities.”

Adding: “Particularly so when DELSU has had very peaceful and seamless Vice-Chancellor selection processes in the past, with very robust criteria derived purely on the basis of existing prescriptions that accommodated the provisions applicable to medical clinical lecturers.”

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The statement continued: “Indeed, clinical lecturers have been part of the last exercises as candidates. Prof. John Ohaju-Obodo, a professor of Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology was part of the last selection process as one of the candidates for the office of Vice-Chancellor. A research conducted by this shows a list of medical lecturers that have been Vice-chancellors in Nigeria universities-

1. Prof Kenneth Onwuka Dike ..1960-1967…
2. Prof Thomas A. Lambo…1967-1971..
3. Prof Oritsejolomi Thomas…1972- 1975…
4. Prof Tekena Tamuno..1975- 1979
5. Prof Samson Olajide…1979- 1983.
6. Prof L Ayo Banjo…1983- 1991…
7. Prof Alien B.o.o. Oyediran…1991- 1995.
8. Prof Oladosun ojengbende(acting)..1995- 1996
9. Prof Omoniyo Adewoye…1996- 2000
10. Prof O.O.Olunrunsogo..2000- 2000
11. Prof Ayodele Falarese..2000- 2004.
12. Prof A.O Bamiro..2004- 2010
13. Prof Abel idowu Olayinka ..2015- 2020
14. Prof Isaac Adewole…2010- 2015-
15. Prof Adebola Eka ola .2020- till Date.

Furthermore, the group, said: “It is also compelling to mention that, same Prof. Ohaju-Obodo was a past Dean of postgraduate school of this university where he presided over PhD proposals, synopsis, and theses. He also presented several results in their hundreds to Senate with stellar and seminal performance.

“The Medical Clinical Lecturers exit their postgraduate training with the FELLOWSHIP degree and the Fellowship degree is the only presently recognized degree by the NUC for Clinical lectureship and entitles the Medical Clinical Lecturer an entry point of Lecturer 1 . This degree is also for their progression in the university system. The PhD is the exit degree acquired by non-medical lecturers and entitles them to entry point of lecturer 2.

“Over the years including now the qualifications for aspiring candiate to the Vice-Chancellor position is the FELLOWSHIP degree for medical clinical lecturers whilst the PhD applies to the non-medical lecturers. This is the situation in Nigerian universities

“Therefore, the criteria enunciated for the current Vice-Chancellor selection process are novel and certainly targeted at shutting out a very important group – the clinical lecturers of the faculties of Clinical Medicine, Basic Clinical Sciences and Dentistry from the process. This is discriminatory, not backed by any regulation and clearly unconstitutional. The only university (Lagos State University) that attempted this in 2021 met with a strong resistance and a brick wall.

The statement said: “Advert criteria used for the last Vice-Chancellorship bid of DELSU that produced the incumbent VC is still accessible from the University website and same is applicable to several other universities over the last 4 years are also available online. They are clearly in keeping with the standard prescriptions.

“Furthermore, we find it extremely difficult to comprehend the insistence that the PhD is the only doctorate degree known to the university system by the team of the internal members of the Governing Council when the position of the National Universities Commission as the regulatory agency is very clear and categorical. The Fellowship for want of better classification is catergorised as equivalent to the PhD when in actual fact it should be higher in status, and more interestingly before   acquisition of the Fellowship, trainees are at liberty to also acquire the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. The MD degree created and accredited by the National Universities Commission like the Fellowship is clearly equivalent to the PhD. But we must emphasize that the PhD and MD degree is not the basis of employment of lecturers into the clinical lectureship.”

Meanwhile, the Integrity Academic Bombers opined that the move is to pave way for the candidates of a few select individuals in the university management.

The group urged the Visitor to the University, Rt. Honorable Sherriff Oborevwori to kindly look into their request to compel the University Council to revert to the status quo to avert an unnecessary crisis.

The Integrity Academic bombers believe it will be an academic injustice if their appeal is not granted, saying Section 32(3) of the ACJA 2015 states that a petition can be either oral or written.

Recall that as the tenure of Egwunyenga comes to an end soon, who takes over from him has become the most important topic in the said university.