By Gabriel Dike
The appointment of a rector for Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, has run into troubled waters with the tenure of the incumbent ending this week.
Investigations by The Education Report revealed that some of the applicants petitioned the Presidency alleging irregularities in the selection process.
At the end of the deadline for the submission of applications, two professors, 21 chief lecturers from various polytechnics and eight other senior lecturers from universities applied for the plum job.
The Education Report gathered that, out of the 30 applicants, 13 were from YABATECH, nine chief lecturers from other polytechnics, and nine from universities.
The Prince Lateef Fagbemi-led Governing Council shortlisted 19 applicants, which excluded those from the university system, for the interview.
The three chief lecturers the governing council submitted to the Presidency on merit are Dr. I.A. Abdul, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Lauretta Ofodile, from the Department of BioSciences, and Dr. Okesoto Oyebamiji, from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The three are staff of YABATECH.
Two of the chief lecturers invited for interview from the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, and Federal Polytechnic, Offa, walked out of the selection exercise.
It was learned that five applicants petitioned the Presidency about the conduct of the selection exercise. Some of the petitions were against one of the candidates, whose name was sent to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The hope of staff and students for President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint one of the three recommended applicants have been dashed with the petitions from aggrieved chief lecturers.
With less than a week to the tenure of the outgoing Rector, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), President Buhari has yet to approve a new helmsman for the polytechnic.
The development has kept anxious staff and students waiting for the announcement of a new rector.
The Education Report investigations revealed that the tenure of the outgoing Rector, Mr. Obafemi Omokungbe, would end on January 29th, 2023.
Going by tradition the governing council is expected to appoint an acting rector for the college. Currently, YABATECH has one Deputy Rector, Mr. Uduak Ikpong Inyang-Udoh, chief lecturer in the Department of Quantity Surveying.
The Deputy Registrar/ Head of Public Relations, YABATECH, Mr. Joe Ejiofor told The Education Report that “there are procedures to be followed when appointing a new rector; those procedures are still on course. The tenure of the current rector ends on the 29 of January, which is 10 days from today (19/01/23). When after January 29, a new rector has not been announced or appointed, and then one can begin to talk of delay. For now, there is absolutely no delay.
On alleged stalled exercise, Ejiofor said, “this is an insinuation that holds no substance. I am not aware of any petition from any quarter and there is nothing to confirm here except you want to confirm those that you think are aggrieved with the process. However, one thing I can confirm to you for free was that the process for the appointment of a new rector for the college (from the beginning to the end has been smooth and devoid of any hiccups.
Ejiofor said the outgoing rector has the mandate to superintend over the college for five years, which ends on January 29th, adding “as he exits the college on that day, he will hand over to the new rector appointed by the government.’’