By Doris Obinna

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The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Lagos, has call on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and all stakeholders to delve into events surrounding the appointment of a 9th Vice-Chancellor of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.
The association, in a statement while reiterating that it would use any lawful and legal means to prevent the disenfranchisement of any qualified person including Medical Doctors with Fellowship in the selection process, alleges political interference and a seemingly apparent discrimination against the Medical Profession.
According to the chairman, Dr Adetunji Adenekan, he said that the association unanimously appeal that merit and extant laws be applied.
Adenekan, added that the process of appointment of the university Vice Chancellor, which often terminates at the university level with the selection of three adjudged best candidates by the University Joint Senate and Council Selection Committee for consideration of the University Visitor (the State Governor), was completed twice.
“In each occasion, the University Council had presented three names to the Governor for final selection of the Vice Chancellor, but the Governor had ordered fresh selection process each time. The excuse that was given each time the process was scuttled at the last lap on the Governor’s table has always been some petitions from certain quarters within the University.
“In fact, in the first selection process, now botched, the professor that ranked highest among the three selected professors, based on information in the public domain, was a medical doctor and professor of a field of clinical medicine.
“Also in the second attempt at selection, all the three professors selected by the selection Committee were medical doctors and professors of different areas of clinical medicine. Our expectation was that one of these professors would have been selected for the position by now.”
While appealing to the governor, he said, we appreciate the effort of all the stakeholders who have warned against discrimination against Medical doctors in the process for the good of LASU retaining its role as a world class institution.
“We do not have any reason to believe that the previous processes of selection of 9th Vice Chancellor for LASU were not rigorous or not in compliance with laid down procedures and the extant laws of the University.
“And we appeal that any one of the three finalists in the second selection process be announced by the Governor without further delay, since they all have what it takes to put the University in the path of unrivaled progress and excellence in its three core mandates of teaching, research and community service,” he added.