Ibadan group demands indigene as UI, UCH heads

The apex Ibadan socio-cultural organisation, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an indigene as the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.

Alhaji Adeyemi Soladoye, the CCII President-General, made the appeal at a news conference organised by the group on Sunday in Ibadan.

It was reported that the CCII also canvassed for an Ibadan indigene as the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University College Hospital (UCH).

It further demanded the renaming of railway stations within Ibadan corridors after prominent indigenes of the community.

Soladoye said that Ibadan people were not happy that the town was yet to have one of its own as the vice-chancellor of the institution since it was founded in 1948.

“The University of Ibadan, established in 1948, sits on 2,550 acres of land released to the institution for 999 years by our fathers with a “Thank You” handshake, One Guinea (£1.1s) and a bottle of Schnapps.

“By this year, the University of Ibadan is 72- years -old and has produced 14 Nigerian vice-chancellors between 1960 and today; but inexcusably, no Ibadanman has ever emerged as the vice-chancellor of the university.

“Out of the 14 serving and former Nigerian vice-chancellors of the university (including Acting), 10 are of Yoruba descent – seven Ijesha (Osun), two Ijebu (Ogun) and one Offa (Kwara).

“The other four, from Prof. Kenneth Dike to Prof. Tekena Tamuno, were from non-Yoruba parts of Nigeria,” he said.

Soladoye said that the neglect was not borne out of the absence of qualified Ibadan indigenes within the institution’s system or in academic circles.

He listed some qualified Ibadan indigenes presently vying for the position as Prof. Remi Raji-Oyelade, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, Prof. Emiola Olapade-Olaopa and Prof. Kolapo Hamzat.

“We wish to draw the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria and Nigerians to the fact that this neglect is not for the absence of qualified Ibadan indigenes within the University of Ibadan system.

“We hereby humbly appeal to members of the University of Ibadan Governing Council, the Senate and other respected stakeholders of this citadel of learning to please work for the emergence of an Ibadan man this time around.

“In similar vein, it is also now 54 years since Ibadan gave large expanse of land to build the University College Hospital (UCH), still, no Ibadan man has ever emerged as the Chief Medical Director of the UCH.

“This one again seems to be the exclusive right of the indigenes of Ekiti and Ondo State. Sincerely, these records call for caution, even on the part of the beneficiaries,” he said.

Soladoye said that Ibadan people were not pleased with the recent naming of railway stations in the Ibadan corridors after non-indigenes without considering prominent people from the community.

“We are convinced that this listening government of President Muhammadu Buhari will honour some of these prominent Ibadan indigenes with some of the stations along the rail corridors on Ibadan soil,” he added.

Soladoye cited indigenes such as late Alhaji Adegoke Adelabu, late Chief Adisa Akinloye, High Chief Wuraola Esan, and Dr Onikepo Akande as deserving of being named on the rail corridors.

Others, he added, were Dr Omololu Olunloyo, late Chief Kolapo Ishola, late Alhaji Lam Adesina, Sen. Rashidi Ladoja, late Chief Richard Akinjide and late Sen. Abiola Ajimobi.