PETITION AGAINST PROFESSOR OLUSEGUN AJIBOYE; CHAIRMAN ACADEMIC STAFF UNION, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN BRANCH AND HIS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON THE 2015 VICE CHANCELORSHIP APPOINTMENT EXERCISE.
PROLEGOMENA
According to the comedian, George Carlin, “the paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings; but shorter tempers, wider freeways; but narrower viewpoints…We have more degrees; but less sense, more knowledge; but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems…We have multiplied our possessions; but reduced our values We‟ve done larger things; but not better things. We have cleaned up the air but polluted our soul. We‟ve conquered the atom but not our prejudice…These are the times of big men but small character…” If I may add, it is a time of:
politics without principles
Activism without ideology
Administration without accountability
Management without strategy
Leadership but no authority
Power without purpose
Community but no inclusion
Command without control
Unionism but no collective
Aspiration without inspiration
Perspiration but no insight
Ambition but no foresight
Speed but no traction
We are in an era when we have sacrificed our corporate mission for the pursuit of the 3Rs; (vaunting search for) Relevance; (unrestrained appetite for) Respect; and (sickening penchant for) Recognition. In search for respect, we lost our senses; in our craving for relevance, we lost our balance; for recognition, we sacrificed our judgment. We are now effectively in a state of intellectual anomie; where there is normalization of deviance, fistularization of academia leading to exponential decay in every area of university life.
GROUNDS FOR MY PETITION
The following are the grounds for my petition: breaching the constitution of ASUU, subversion of UI congress, opportunism, promoting a power oligarchy, subverting academic freedom, subverting democratic processes, promoting discrimination against members, instituting ethnic politics, among many others. All of which amount to
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subversion of the union‟s principle of academic freedom and engendering anti-union activities.
In order to frame the allegations properly, permit me to refer you to sections of the constitution of ASUU.
PART I
You do not speak to men without conscience to change their mind but for the records and lessons of history. You do not appeal to a man who has sold his soul to convince him to change his ways. It is to sound an alarm for those waiting in line (Egbokhare)
A
I wish to draw your attention to number 7 of the Code of Practice:
RESPONSIBILITIES OF ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICERS OF THE UNION.
See in particular, section iv (b, c, d, e, i, l, n). Permit me to spell it out as follows:
All Officers and Staff of the Union shall:
uphold and defend the constitution of the union at all times;
render honest, impartial and efficient services to the union:
serve as an effective link between the union and its members,
be trustworthy and responsible representatives of workers to management; eschew all forms of individualism which are inimical to the solidarity, stability and progress of trade union movement;
put the interest of the union and of its members above his or her own personal interest in the conduct of union affairs;
abide by majority decisions and respect the right of the majority;
work for the growth of the Union in strength and freedom
further the cause of industrial democracy, peace, progress and social justice.
I wish to establish the following as some grounds for my petition. That
You have failed to uphold and defend the constitution of ASUU
You have been dishonest and partial in your role as an elected officer of the union
You have been a poor link between the union and its members
You have not been a trustworthy and responsible representative of members to management as you have been opportunistic, individualistic and have used your position to the advantage of a few close friends to the disadvantage of the larger majority. Thereby, severely weakening union solidarity as can be shown by the fact that only 2% of members still attend congress, the resignations of some members from the union due to discrimination and nepotism and open rebuke through releases by disenchanted members and the growing menace of cyber bullying which was hitherto not part of our union culture.
You have placed your personal and group interest over and above that of the union as you persist in taking advantage of your position to build a power oligarchy with the sole aim of allocating positions, patronage and resources to a few servile individuals; and have therefore turned a blind eye to all cases of breaches of accountability and transparency by management.
You have consistently undermined the cause of industrial democracy, peace, progress and social justice by discriminating against members in their desire to serve the university in various elective positions.
As part of the above, you have merged the ASUU framework with university management, as the union under your leadership is an appendage of the VC, have become intolerant of dissent, and equate loyalty to the union with membership of your
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narrow opportunistic caucus therefore undermining the growth of the Union in strength and freedom.
B
Please refer to 9: Corrupt Practices on page 47 of the constitution. It states that:
No responsible trade union official should have a personal financial interest which conflicts with the full performance of his or her duties as a workers‟ representative or as a representative of the union and therefore of the trade union. All elected and appointed trade union officials as well as employees of the union and trade unions will eschew corrupt practices in all their forms; that is, not only in financial and political matters but also in those matters which involve loss of union prestige and jeopardy of union and membership interests rather than union assets as such.
Refer also to 10: Racketeering on page 47. It states:
The decisive element in racketeering is personal enrichment at the expense of the workers or employers in the industry. For example, excessive demands, invasion of management rights, violence in trade disputes can be racketeering if the end is personal enrichment of an individual or group of individuals utilizing their strategic advantages in the union for the purpose.
You have engaged in corrupt practices in all their forms including political matters by subverting the democratic process for the selection of a Vice Chancellor through anointing of candidates, predetermining the result of the process, colluding with a candidate and political tendencies to affect the outcome, intimidating individuals seeking elective offices and influencing the membership of Senate all in the name of ASUU
By exposing ASUU to risk of indictment due to the relentless use of ASUU‟s name and machinery to launder the image of the former vice chancellor, constitute a political lobby in support of his appointment as a Minister, obstruct genuine dissent against his appointment and cover allegations of corruption against him. All these matters involve loss of union prestige and jeopardy of union and membership interests.
Fraudulently paying glowing tribute on the immediate past Vice Chancellor based on estimated performance (like the estimated billing of DISCOS), without any known or established Key Performance Indicators and Benchmarking
By accepting gifts of Rams, Turkeys and sundry gifts from management, constituting the union machinery to a publicity organ of the Vice Chancellor, turning the union into a lobby for political office of one of the former vice chancellor
By participating in the management and running of the university, recommending individuals to the vice chancellor for appointment and incorporating same individuals as members of the extended exco of the union, you have undermined the functions of ASUU as an accountability and transparency platform necessary for good governance in the university.
Making excessive demand on management, and in fact taking over the instruments of university management by determining appointments to offices and participating in university committees such as fuel purchase committee, influencing appointments of relatives against extant rules. You have devalued the prestige of the union by
associating it with the obvious collapse of good governance and civilised conduct on campus.
Please let me refer you to the Social Responsibility clause, Article 19, 20, 21 of the
Kampala declaration on Intellectual Freedom in the ASUU constitution (subsection iii). Let me also draw your attention to Appendix (1):Code of Practice, item 2, subsection i and iii:
i). “to encourage the positive contributions which the Academic Staff Union of Universities can make to economic and social progress of Nigeria, her associations and interests, and to minimize and resolve the difficulties to which its various operations may give rise to, having regard to the laws, regulations, public policies and practices in force in the country.”
iii) “to develop a vigilant, informed and active membership, conscious of its rights and interests and alive to its responsibilities in the operation of any trade union program as an effective safeguard against abuses”
I make bold to say that you have failed woefully with regard to the above.
I refer again to Appendix 1: (Code of Practice), section 4: MEMBERSHIP RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Each member of ASUU shall have the right to full and free participation in the governance of the union. This shall include: Right:
to vote periodically, as provided in the Union‟s constitution and rules for Branch and National officers either directly or through delegates;
to honest and democratically-conducted elections;
to stand for and hold office, subject only to fair and reasonable qualifications uniformly imposed;
to express his or her views as to the manner in which the Union‟s affairs should be conducted:
Each member shall have the right to fair treatment in the application of Union‟s rules and constitution….
each member has the responsibility fully to exercise his rights of trade union membership and, loyalty, to support the union. The right of an individual member to criticize the policies of the union and its officers does not include the right to undermine the union as an institution, to destroy or weaken the union as a collective bargaining agency, or to carry on slander or libel of any of the officer of the union.
From the above, subsections d(i) and (ii) the following rights are guaranteed: Right to
Express One’s View, Criticize Union Officers, Right to Fair Treatment and Application of Union’s Rules, Uniform Use of Fair and Reasonable Qualifications for all members in the democratic and community space, among other things.
I wish to recognize the following breaches of membership rights as enumerated above:
to stand for and hold office, subject only to fair and reasonable qualifications uniformly imposed;
right to fair treatment in the application of Union‟s rules and constitution: by identifying certain candidates as “ASUU candidates”, without due approval of congress, in disregard of the constitution of the Union, against all principles of fair play and fair hearing, by engaging in ethnic politics against some members, among others.
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By deploying the union machinery to obstruct, intimidate and prevent the election of candidates who are determined by you not to be “ASUU Candidates” and denying them their legitimate rights to serve and aspire to office, thus subverting the ethos of ASUU and trade union movement.
By subverting criticisms against the former VC through the unilateral approval of his actions and activities, without congress deliberation, approval and resolutions
The foregoing justify and emphatically form the basis of the current action to protest several acts of habitual breaches of ASUU constitution and code of ethics and to demand appropriate action to redress, remediate, punish as the case may be.
Please permit me to draw your attention to Article 2; Objects. Refer to (iii), (vii) and (viii) which state that ASUU (i) shall establish and maintain a high standard of academic performance and professional practice; (ii) encourage the participation of its members in the affairs of the University system; (iii) protect and advance the sociocultural and economic interest of the nation.
The action of Professor Ajiboye’s exco completely vitiates the above stated article as it subverts academic freedom, discriminatory practices and undermines the interest of the nation by promoting exclusion and mediocrity.
C
Additional material to establish the grounds for our petition is provided by the Port Harcourt Declaration. The declaration elaborates the leadership characteristics of ASUU and defines the ethical requirements congruent with the constitution of the union.
We present the Port Harcourt Declaration as Annexure 1 below:
ANNEXURE 1
PORTHARCOURT DECLARATION
In essence, persons who (desire to, or) occupy executive posts of ASUU shall
demonstrate highest ethical values. His/ Her actions shall be to show:
Demonstration of ideological clarity (being on the side of the
people/members of the union)
Commitment to ASUU’s constitution and democratic principles
Exercise courage and discipline
Hard work and results orientations
Ethical conduct: demonstration of integrity, protection and judicious use of union funds, objectivity, transparency and accountability; rejection of
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opportunism.
Humility and patience in the work of the union; faithfulness to the moral
Sacrifice and service in the work of the union; against labour aristocracy
Professionalism in our primary role as academics and union officials
Getting recognized as a leader (rather than campaigning to be recognized as a leader)
Total rejection of ethno-religious and other primordial considerations in our work and relationships; commitment to nation-building and nationalism.
The highlighted show areas where the declaration is held in the breach as already supported in the preceding sections.
Before I present the supporting narrative to the above, I wish to expressly present the grievance procedure in the union‟s constitution in order for us to frame a convergence.
ANNEXURE 2
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE: CODE OF PRACTICE 5
Any aggrieved member(s) shall write to the Branch Executive in the first instance, stating clearly his or her grievance. The Branch Executive shall respond within two weeks of the receipt of the letters.
If the complaint is not addressed to the satisfaction of the complainant, he or she shall be free to bring the complaint before the branch congress.
For the purpose of (ii) above, the chairperson shall summon the congress within 14 days of the receipt of the expression of dissatisfaction of the member(s)
Where the complaint is against an officer of a branch, the Exco shall first try to resolve the matter failing which it shall forward the complaint to the appropriate committee of Congress who shall make its report to Congress within 14 days of the receipt of the complaint from the exco
Where the complaint is against the chairperson of the Branch, the findings and recommendations of the Congress shall be forwarded to NEC for confirmation or otherwise.
Where the complaint is against the National Officer in a Branch, such a complaint shall be forwarded to NEC for necessary action.
SOME GROUNDS FOR THE PETITION REVISITED
Discrimination against members in violation of the constitution and using the union platform to promote the candidacy of certain individuals. Even as we write, this is going on in respect of the elections into branch positions. Individuals who have
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broken ranks with so-called union nominees are being intimidated. Similarly, new Deans of Faculties are being anointed
Promoting labour aristocracy and union oligarchy
Involvement in cyber-bullying to discredit members of the union who are not in the chairman‟s clique
Creating a clique of individuals with the sole aim of cornering power, thereby promoting exclusion, disaffection among members and weakening union solidarity
Promoting ethnic politics in collaboration with the National Treasurer Dr Demola Aremu
Constituting an extended exco of friends in violation of congresses specified membership made up of former leaders and Faculty representatives.
Interfering with the genuine aspiration of members to leadership positions of executive of cooperative, Dean of Faculties and Postgraduate School, Council Membership, membership of selection committee of Vice Chancellor) by using the union machinery to promote candidacy of personal friends and acolytes and intimidating critical individuals
Merging the union framework with management and surrendering the machinery of ASUU to the Chairman‟s friend who is the Vice Chancellor and undermining genuine dissent
Promoting corruption by aiding and abetting with the union machinery, rigging the process of selection of vice chancellor thereby disgracing and completely vitiating the principles and standards of ASUU and undermining its reputation as a labour union
Converting the local ASUU machinery to the Vice Chancellor‟s publicity megaphone and presenting Professor Adewole as ASUU ministerial candidate without permission of either NEC Or Congress
Making speeches in defence of Professor Adewole in respect of petitions against his tenure, on behalf of ASUU without authorization or permission or backed by resolution of congress or and without prior investigation as would be expected of a well-trained academic.
Intimidating dissenters through cyber bullying through a franchise known as Integrity Group created and maintained by the branch exco.
By associating the union with the activities and policies of the last VC, participating in his administration in the management as representatives of ASUU, appointing and encouraging others to serve as union representatives, collapsing the extended exco into management you have brought the union to disrepute and undermined its prestige and reputation as a principled and law-abiding organisation. Professor Adewole‟s administration is recognized for its the normalization of deviance, creeping determinism, moral and material vandalization of UI, breach of appointments and promotion criteria, prodigal mentality, desecration of university monuments and destruction of university institutions such as Senate and A&P. By making ASUU a partner to such a regime, you have helped in turning the University to a criminal enterprise.
Rather than investigate obvious cases of conflict of interest, allegations of perversion of the process of appointment and promotions, failure of institutions, decay in key
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university units, allegations of over invoicing in contracts and failure to follow due process in some others, yourself and the national treasurer, pretending to be acting on behalf of the union, gave a blanket approval to all actions of the former VC. An action atypical of ASUU, against its practice and values, evident of moral corruption if not collusion
Turning ASUU UI to a publicity infrastructure and lobby machinery for the political appointment of the former Vice Chancellor and passing a vote of confidence on him without due approval, consent and resolution of congress as well as against standard evaluation practice in academia
ASUU now superintends the fraudulent selection process of VCs and all members of the group are appointed to offices, without exception and same individuals participate and control the extended exco thereby hunting with the hare and running with the hounds; appropriating and reprobating.
Lying about the performance of the former vice chancellor, acting irresponsibly and dragging the name of the union into disrepute
Speaking on behalf of the union without mandate or authorization and for members without popular consent, thereby acting corruptly and in a way unbecoming of a leader of ASUU
Turning ASUU UI machinery into a political lobby for a ministerial nominee without express approval of congress or NEC and against all sense of decorum or moral rectitude
Loss of ideological clarity and promotion of discrimination against members
The cumulative effect of the actions above and due to your surrendering of ASUU machinery to the former VC for use and abuse, as well as narrowing the union down to a core of friends and loyalist, mass disenchantment has arisen leading to
a drastic fall in attendance at congress, less than 2%(out of over 1500 members of academic staff) being largely same circle of friends, patrons and appointees
Resignations and threats to resign by individuals who were hitherto strong members
Public petitions and criticism of your leadership style
Loss of confidence in the union due to a corrupt leadership oligarchy built around the chairman and the national treasurer
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ANNEXURE 3: NEWSPAPER REPORT OF ASUU’S BACKING OF THE
NOMINATION OF PROFESSOR ADEWOLE AS A MINISTER- PROFESSOR AJIBOYE
Wednesday,December 16, 2015
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Home » NATIONAL » Ministers: ASUU, others laud Buhari over Adewole‟s nomination
Ministers: ASUU, others laud Buhari over Adewole’s nomination
TCE Reporter October 16, 2015 Leave a comment
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Professor Isaac Adewole
The Staff Unions at the University of Ibadan have described the nomination of the outgoing Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac Adewole as minister by President Muhammadu Buhari as commendable.
Consequently, they said Adewole‟s nomination was based on merit over primordial sentiments.
They, therefore, urged the president to assign him to Health or Education ministry after his impending screening before the senate.
Professor Adewole‟s tenure would lapse as the VC on November 30, 2015 after a meritorious positive turn-around of the infrastructures on campus and improvement on the ranking of the University in International community.
While reacting to the nomination of Professor Adewole, Chairmen of Academic and Non-academic Unions on University of Ibadan said Adewole would do well if placed in the Education or Health ministry but maintained that the outgoing VC was a good manager of men and resources.
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The chairman of the Academic Staff Union (ASUU) Professor Olusegun Ajiboye said the five year tenure of Professor Adewole witnessed monumental achievements saying though Adewole would deliver well on any ministry assigned to him but he would prefer the nominee to the assigned to education ministry.
“The university grew in leaps and bounds. He was admired by both the staff and students. I am sure he is a potential asset to the country. He will surely deliver in any assignment given to him. I wish he is assigned to the education Ministry”.
Professor Adewole was recently conferred with Doctor of Science degree by University of Sutherland, UK for his outstanding academic career and commitment to the promotion of medical screening and preventive medicine in Nigeria.
According to Ajiboye, the nomination was a right step towards the change that Nigeria needs by putting change agents who have achieved global recognition in their chosen academic career and have unblemished administrative records.
Also speaking, the chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Wale Akinremi said “the nomination of Professor Isaac Folorunsho Adewole (IFA) as a minister was received by the university of Ibadan community with great enthusiasm. We can vouch for his professional pedigree and administrative competence. He is a good manager of men and resources, good listener and compassionate leader. He is competent to handle many of our ministries. He has the prayers and support of the vast majority of the University of Ibadan community and we assure Nigerians that whatever ministry given to him is going to enjoy tremendous development”.
© 2015, The Chronicle of Education. Permission to use parts of this article is granted provided that www.thechronicleofeducation.com is properly acknowledged.
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All reactions or contributions published by The Chronicle of Education are strictly the views of the authors concerned. Publication of the reactions or contributions does not imply support for or endorsement of those views.
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ANNEXURE 4: NEWSPAPER REPORT OF ASUU’S BACKING OF THE NOMINATION OF PROFESSOR ADEWOLE AS A MINISTER- DR ADEMOLA AREMU, NATIONAL TREASURER
Wednesday,December 16, 2015
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Home » NATIONAL » Ministerial screening: Again, ASUU officer makes case for Adewole
Ministerial screening: Again, ASUU officer makes case for Adewole
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Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole
Barely 24 hours to his appearance for screening as a ministerial nominee before the National Assembly, National Treasurer of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Dr Ademola Aremu has described outgoing Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Isaac
Folorunso Adewole as round peg in a round hole suitable for President Muhammadu Buhari‟ change agenda.
Dr Aremu who was former ASUU chairman of University of Ibadan noted that he was not given to praise singing as a unionist added that the outgoing VC has put his name as a performer of all time adding that, Professor Adewole popularly called „IFA‟ has been destined to rule.
A release titled “Adewole as a Minister: A round peg fit for a round hole” signed by Dr
Aremu was made available to newsmen in Ibadan.
According to him, Prof Adewole has unprecedented records and achievements since he was the provost of the College of Medicine, University culminating in his overwhelming support to emerge VC when he indicated Interest.
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While saying Nigeria is on the path of glory again with the nomination of Professor Adewole, Dr Aremu said the nominee had shown more commitments to health and Education by rising to lead medical struggles and brokering peace with a few other Vice Chancellors in the 6-month strike of 2013.
His release further read in parts: “Let me make bold to say that as a unionist, we are not given to empty praise-singing. Adewole having successfully headed University of Ibadan (mini Nigeria) for five years can successfully govern Nigeria least of being made a minister.
“The story of Prof. Adewole „IFA‟ as we popularly called him is the story of someone who has been destined to serve humanity. His achievements as a provost of the college of medicine made him to receive overwhelming support from the university community when he indicated interest to serve on the university governing council and later on as vice chancellor.
“As vice chancellor, he totally turned the university around in terms of staff and students welfare, academically, university of Ibadan unarguably became the best in Nigeria and one of the best in Africa. Facilities and infrastructural development is second to none in the university and compete with best practices globally.
“His role with a few other vice chancellors brokered the truce between ASUU and FGN in the 2013 face off on the implementation of the collective agreement that led to the release of the university‟s revitalization fund. These and many more achievements from this ministerial nominee has rekindle my hope that Nigeria is on the path to glory.”
© 2015, The Chronicle of Education. Permission to use parts of this article is granted provided that www.thechronicleofeducation.com is properly acknowledged.
Disclaimer
All reactions or contributions published by The Chronicle of Education are strictly the views of the authors concerned. Publication of the reactions or contributions does not imply support for or endorsement of those views.
SIGNED:—————————————–
PROFESSOR FRANCIS EGBOKHARE, FNAL
DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS AND AFRICAN LANGUAGES
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN
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PART II: THE NARRATIVE
All truths are easy to understand once you discover them. The problem is how to discover them (Galileo).
What do we know? People try to figure it out, and God is laughing (Yiddish saying). We see the back of the tapestry of life, and it looks to us like random strands of knotted wool. God, however, sees the whole beautiful picture on the right side of the tapestry, and He’s laughing because everything is in order, everything makes sense (David Aaron 2005)
Conscience is an open wound, only the truth can heal it (Uthman Dan Fodio)
1) PREAMBLE
PROBONO PUBLICO: FEIGN IGNORANCE AND KEEP QUIET
The title of this section is borrowed from the work of Efeturi Ojakaminnor (nd) Ghanamustgo Republic: Happenings. I share the justification expressed by him for getting involved “in a society where one is expected to hide the facts because those involved have a pathological intolerance of alternative views…I refuse to play the ostrich because there is such a thing as the imperative of conscience, and my conscience leaves me with no other options here”(pxvii). Following his logic, I make bold to say that in „an environment where Harlequins masquerade as unionists; where university administrators are masters of histrionics who are not bothered by how they will be judged by history and men and women of power lack capacity for shame there is no neutral ground for the portrayal of abysmal evil‟ (pxviii). According to Efeturi, “the culture of silence can only strengthen the hands of the oppressor”. Silence is antithetical to the Universitas and when pervading silence becomes the norm, it is a veritable sign of a moral and ethical eclipse if not the collapse of intellection. According to Asobie (1999), the university is a tower of disputation: it is a temple where encouragement is given and liberty granted for the airing of heresies and profession of heterodoxies; it is a hallowed ground for the toleration of eccentrics. In some countries of the contemporary world, however, the university has become a secure abode for conformists, for defenders of orthodoxy, for haters of argumentation, for opponents of confrontation (and I add, for ethnicists and tribalists, for opportunists, oligarchs, labor aristocrats, the mediocre, religious fanatics).” According to Theodore Roosevelt, “It is only in a community of all angels or all imbeciles that you can find complete unanimity of mind”(pxxii). He states further; “it is character that counts in a nation as in a man. It is a good thing to have a keen, fine intellectual development in a nation, to produce orators, artists, successful businessmen; but it is an infinitely greater thing to have those solid qualities which we group together under the name of character: sobriety, steadfastness, the sense of obligations towards one‟s neighbor and one‟s God, hard common sense, and combined with it, the lift of generous enthusiasm toward whatever is right. These are the qualities which go to make up true national greatness.” These are the qualities that are in rare supply on our campus. Silence is the inevitable consequences of the failure of character. When men lose face, they make up the difference with the public lie. Soyinka (2015), in his recent book, Interinventions, talks about
“The Public Lie”. Commenting on the Nigerian followership, he states that “it is about time we rounded off the portrait of a nation undermined by the negative propensities of followership that is largely fearful of acknowledging and thus, feeling impelled to emulate,
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the conduct of the exceptions in positive and productive leadership. Worse still, such followership tendencies provide covering fire for their own enemy-the corrupt and exploitative leadership. Worst of all however, they pollute the perceptions of the young, create cynicism in their outlook on society, so that they deify notorious villains for short-lived social rewards…”(p6). We are silent because we have accepted the lie, because we have joined the procreators of lies in order to benefit from the feast of corruption, which unfortunately is the only real business today in our institution. We have substituted debate with sycophancy; we promote servility as an academic virtue, and replaced ideas with opportunism. Have we all become so hungry? According to Martin Luther King, Jr. “it is one of the great tragedies of human history that the „children of darkness‟ are frequently more determined and zealous than the „children of light”. “For me, I respect an honest and truthful peasant more than I respect a deceitful and lying president [Vice Chancellor? Chair of Council? Chair of a Union?]. I was brought up to know and to believe that lying is the beginning of almost all crimes and sins. …A liar will invariably be a fraud, a rogue, a murderer. I say like David “I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. Compromise with evil is both evil and sinful” (Soyinka 2015:1) (Addition in square bracket is mine).
2) ETHICAL AND MORAL FOUNDATIONS OF ASUU
A few questions keep coming to mind that should form the basis of a conversation as regards the issue of ethics, morality and the involvement of ASUU executive committee members in university politics and governance. What should be the framing factors for the engagement of a union in the management of a university? How far should an exco go in pursuing what it claims to be the interest of the union or its agenda? I believe that the constitution of ASUU is clear in Article 2: Objects. Of specific relevance are (ii), (iv), which relate to trade union issues. (v) and (vi) relate to membership welfare while (iii) and (viii) deal with the
“establishment and maintenance of high standard of academic performance and professional practice and the protection and advancement of the socioeconomic and cultural interests of the nation respectively.” Clearly, it is about conditions of service, members‟ welfare and high academic performance. The union is not an arm of management; it cannot and should not constitute part of management. In order to assist management in achieving the collective goals, the union must be guided by the vision and mission of the university and work as a watchdog in enforcing transparency, accountability, participation and academic freedom. In addition, a branch union should strive to ensure that the behavior of management and its members are congruent with the core values defined in the strategic plan as a guiding document. ASUU UI should be guided by the following 7 core values of the university:
Striving to be the best in all that we do;
Being truthful, fair and accountable in dealing with others;
Respecting the dignity and rights of all persons;
Working to ensure the safety of our students, staff and all persons;
Fostering environments where diverse views are sought and respected;
Encouraging and nurturing new ideas that are in harmony with our vision;
Strongly believing that hard-work, diligence, ethical and socially responsible behaviour is key to maintaining our integrity.
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The key guiding principles of UI is captured by the acronym EDISI: Excellence; Diversity; Innovation; Service Delivery and Social responsibility; and Integrity. Three components of excellence that should interest a union are:
Recruiting and nurturing the finest academic minds who are committed to impact-driven research and sound teaching;
Committing fully to giving our students comprehensive education that potentially make them graduates who, in line with our mission, are worthy in learning, character
and sound judgment;
Promoting responsive, efficient, transparent and accountable management of the university‟s financial, human and material resources.
The components of integrity are presented thus:
recruiting Teaching and Non-teaching staff that are hard-working, with high sense of dedication, credibility and integrity, to be excellent role models to
students;
Promoting hard-work, ethical behaviour and integrity as the bedrock of academic issues, research and outreach community services of the university;
Accepting responsibility for our actions and choices we make, and being confident in making value-added differences when needed, conscious of the
fact that this is essential for maintaining the University‟s leadership position in the nation‟s education sector;
Working with a strong assurance that if the staff serves with a high sense of dignity, credibility and integrity, the vision and mission of the University of
Ibadan would be achieved.
The guiding compass of unionism therefore should be the union‟s constitution, the vision and
mission, core values and guiding principles of the university. They must be the balance for
weighing all actions, the sieve through which all activities are strained. Anything outside of
this is a travesty of purpose.
It is clear that the ASUU exco has not been concerned about the defense of the core values and guiding principles of the University of Ibadan. Rather it has inserted itself in the defense, protection of those who have vandalized the university morally and materially, constituting itself into a propaganda operation and publicist of the former Vice Chancellor whose tenure will stand out in history for “fistularizing” the intellectual atmosphere of UI and introducing
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poisonous politicking into the business of administration. Here are a few of his ill-legacies (if you doubt me) which ASUU seeks to sustain:
PROFESSOR ADEWOLE’S SCORECARD
The big lie that embarrassed the university globally after the VC claimed that UI lost 10 billion naira to the flood of 2011
Prodigal mentality and resource allocation to lifestyle at the expense of academic services such as excessive expenditure on official cars/ Purchase of official cars while funds for research is inadequate and payment of honorarium and services are delayed. The data on purchase of cars shows that between as at 2014, 126 units of cars were purchased at 634, 846,159 naira. In 2012 alone 50 units were purchased.
Increase in administrative staff complement at a time of complaint of overstaffing. In the last four years, 321 junior administrative staff have been employed without following due process
Employment of individuals in professions that have been phased out due to new technology. There are 321 junior staff in categories that have been rendered obsolete in modern organizations. 97, clerical, 91 messengers, 74 drivers, and 59 computer operators have been employed in the last four years. Compare this to 236 academic staff employed in the same period.
Travels/cash and touring advance and overnight expenses(185,906,401.14), rising to over N400m at the end of the tenure.
Creating Special Purpose Vehicles for patronage called IGR ventures for N206,699,479.68 (Internally Generated Rascality) which have only generated deficit to satisfy acolytes
Desecration of heritages and monuments and expending about N500m to accomplish this
Hiring a plane to bring in Minister of Education for the 2014 convocation
Purchase of Rams for ASUU henchmen and expending about N100m naira on gifts in 5 years
Promoting friends with non-existent criteria, abuse of promotion criteria
Conflict of interest in the issue of Agric. Farm project (How much was spent on the farm?)
Pervasive conflict of interest by operators of management
26 MOUs went moribund
Poor accreditation record of 2015
Decrepit status of the Kenneth Dike Library, Dairy Farm and roads
Promotion of cleavages and destruction of espiritdecorp among staff. Cleavages have created a number of distortions in the quality of debates, decisions, polarization of behaviour in Senate, administrative inefficiency. Generally, the paramouncy of academics and logic has tended to be replaced by political belief, friendship, religious affiliation and loyalty to other interests.
The more problematic issue that persists to date is that the fluidity of power has been replaced by the permanence of an inner oligarchy of special interests who hijack the functions of statutory organs of the University. In fact, there is a swing between elite capture and stomach infrastructure as the motivation for actions and alignments in the University.
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A distortion introduced was the balancing game in appointments leading to a practice of parity between ethnic, religious and later, special interest groups in subversion of competence, experience and expert knowledge.
Adhocisation of administration further compounds the above. The explosion of ad hoc committees that perform functions of statutory committees narrows the space for participation by administrative personnel. There are committees for power supply, water supply, and environment as well as countless directorates, many performing functions of statutory organs of administration. Creation of Directorates (to make the patronage go round) with overlapping functions thus undermining system efficiency
Subversion of hierarchy and group think in place of independent thinking
We can go on and on to show the record of the man celebrated by the local exco as the best thing to have happened to UI since 1948. According to Chairman of ASUU, “five year tenure of Professor Adewole witnessed monumental achievements saying though Adewole would deliver well on any ministry assigned to him but he would prefer the nominee to the assigned to education ministry. “The university grew in leaps and bounds. He was admired by both the staff and students. I am sure he is a potential asset to the country (The Chronicle of Education, Wednesday Dec. 16, 2015). Hear the testimony of the National Treasurer, Dr Aremu in the same publication:
Dr Aremu who was former ASUU chairman of University of Ibadan noted that he was not given to praise singing as a unionist added that the outgoing VC has put his name as a performer of all time adding that, Professor Adewole popularly called „IFA‟ has been destined to rule.
A release titled “Adewole as a Minister: A round peg fit for a round hole” signed by Dr Aremu was made available to newsmen in Ibadan. According to him, Prof Adewole has unprecedented records and achievements since he was the provost of the College of Medicine, University culminating in his overwhelming support to emerge VC when he indicated Interest. While saying Nigeria is on the path of glory again with the nomination of Professor Adewole,
SOME MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF PROFESSOR ADEWOLE IN PICTURES
FIG. 1a and b. KENNETH DIKE LIBRARY IN 2015
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FIG. 2: A CLASSROOM IN 2015
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FIG. 4: DAIRY FARM IN 2015
We are obviously in a pit. The only reason we fell into the pit was that ASUU exco betrayed its members and its mandate. It has, uncharacteristic of an ASUU leadership, become actively involved in legitimizing impunity thereby „fistularizing‟ the values of academia.
3) THE NOTION OF AN ASUU CANDIDATE
It is clear that the notion of an ASUU candidate, which has been perpetuated, and sold to the generality, is unconstitutional. All dues paying members of the union who have not been delisted from the membership list are all equal before the constitution. To declare an individual as a candidate of the union is fraudulent. We have seen a shift over the years from developing a capacity to prosecute strikes at all cost to a fixation on command and control politics. The latter has informed the overbearing influence by the local executive in such issues as appointments, election of Deans and even matters of promotion.
4) DEANSHIP ELECTIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS
There is a popular belief now that there are two promotion tracks in UI today. The first is hard work, which is not guaranteed, and the second is the ASUU-Track, which is sure-banker; to use pools betting parlance. Apart from the fact that non-existent criteria may be used, new requirements for the special group are “compassionate grounds” and “service to the union.” This is apart from the fact that individuals who benefit from this dispensation get accelerated consideration of their cases. The tragic development today is that even the majority who have worked hard to earn their promotions are mocked secretly by those who
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say in Yoruba won buun, meaning he was dashed. Should the union be involved in canvassing for promotions for individuals? Even if it is not involved, should it stand by and watch the destruction of the heart and soul of the A&P? Should the union platform be used to negotiate appointments, especially of family members?
The interference of ASUU leadership with elections to Faculties has assumed epidemic proportions. As we have seen already, it is unconstitutional and self-serving. The branding of acolytes as ASUU candidates is often supported with intimidation of other candidates and deployment of resources of university management to affect the outcome. I have had occasions to take the ASUU chair up on this a number of times, especially before and after the elections to the Postgraduate School. He insisted that he would continue to interfere to ensure that the will of the union is upheld, by which he meant himself, management and a few friends. The only reason they have their way is that they enjoy the backing of management and due to the ignorance of the larger majority of staff who were appointed in the last fifteen years as well as the indifference of the many and scramble for favors that has enslaved the new professorate. The introduction of cyber bulling into election campaigns started with the desperation of ASUU leadership to deliver the Deanship to their friends. The so-called integrity group emerged in this era. It has now become a franchise deployed by aggrieved but cowardly individuals.
5) THE EMERGING ETHNIC POLITICS
“The University environment has been overwhelmed in recent times by the malaise afflicting the larger society. The reality today is that on our campuses, idealism has given way to crass opportunism… Cultural templates have overrun intellectual traditions, intellectual and academic networks no longer exist where religious, ethnic, and anti-social ones are holding sway. The new leaders are those who can intimidate, coerce and employ subterfuge where scholarship, oratory, logic and character once were the elements of academic leadership. The spirit of enquiry has been eclipsed by superstition; it is a burden to be creative and selflessness is supreme foolishness. Where research and scientific enquiry informed debate, it is now interests and loyalties that drive argumentation” (Egbokhare 2015). Ethnic politics is a cancer that is threatening to destroy the Nigerian University system and UI is fast sinking its teeth into it. If we are not careful, it will undermine the University of Ibadan‟s leadership role in Africa in addition to reducing its prestige as the pride of the intellectual community in Nigeria.
Osundare (2005) asserts that the hallmarks of a university are its inclusiveness, its diversity, its wholeness and comprehensiveness, as well as the interconnectedness of its curricula and the branches of knowledge that constitute the centre of its focus. Its mission is the pursuit-and practice- of freedom; genuine freedom, the liberty to think and feel, dream and dare, roam and range, lose and find, walk and stumble- and walk again. It is a perpetual process of experimentation and discovery, of proposition and interrogation”(p9). “The University is a citadel of learning…a compost of thought and garden of ideas. For a University is a city, an institution, with walls which refuse to remain walls because they are so porous, so adaptable to the wind of the mind. Its community transcends narrow path, ethnic, national, geographical and professional structures; its intellectual landscape is wide, diverse, sometimes un-mapable; its reach and range are far beyond the visible horizons (p8). Osundare sums up by stating, “the universe in the University resides in its ability to globalise the local and localise the global” (p9). The university staff is highly diverse in all ramifications. Diversity breeds the hybrid vigour needed to sustain a creative
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and innovative environment for knowledge production, sharing and dissemination. “If we take the university idea as a universal one and the intellectual as a global identity transcending and overpowering territorial constraints, ethnic politics within the context of a university becomes an anathema to the creation of an environment for intellection”. It is warped ideology, a constraining consciousness, a poisonous and limiting factor on the freedoms of the academia and has capacity for perversion of processes and disruption of systemic congruence and structures that assure the realization of the university idea. In this way, it aggregates with politics, cultism and religion in its destructive potency.
Adebayo Olukoshi(2001), Citing the case of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, states that
“today the grand issues…do not centre around science and society but on petty power calculations of who comes from where… (p40)”(cf. Egbokhare 2015). Mohammed Salih draws attention to the failure of African universities when he states, “instead of producing people who talk about national integration and shed themselves of their narrow ethnicities, cultural parochialism and all of that, universities in Africa today produce ethnicists. In fact ethnicity is rife w