Protesters from Ile-Ife in Osun State were seen clustered at the centre of excellence of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) demonstrating against the appointment of Adebayo Bamire as the new vice-chancellor of the university.
The governing council of OAU had earlier in the week announced that Bamire, a professor of agricultural economics would be taking over from Eyitope Ogunbodede as the 12th vice-chancellor of the university.
According to reports, this new development spurred some indigenes of Ile-Ife, to come out in their numbers in protest to appointment stressing that Bamire as non-indigene is not qualified to assume the office of the VC of OAU.
Owelle Udoji, the pro-chancellor/chairman of the council, had in his announcement said that Bamire’s appointment is effective from June 7, immediately after Eyitope Ogunbodede, the incumbent VC’s tenure would have ended.
Ogunbodede’s tenure as the VC of the university will end on Monday, June 6, 2022.
Udoji in his address to the media explained that 16 candidates battled for the position and the selection was witnessed by the representatives of the Federal Character Commission.
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That notwithstanding, the angry protesters maintained that an indigene of Ile-Ife should have been appointed the VC and not otherwise.
Immediately after the announcement of Bamire as the new sustentative VC, the protesters began to vent their anger, shutting down the main campus community gate. The ugly development left many staff and visitors stranded.
Many of the protesters who spoke to the press insisted that not appointing an indigene as the new VC is unfair to the people of Ile-Ife, and that would not be tolerated.
“It is an insult on us that after 61 years, they deemed it unfit to appoint or to elect any of our sons. We are not particular about Ife, Ipetumodu, Modakeke, or any other town in the land.
“We are telling you, workers and students today, do not come to work tomorrow, Friday. We won’t agree to anything. We will be here with charms, we will be here with masquerades, and we will be here with deities,” one of the protesters said.
