[News Feature] As controversy rocks Nigeria French Village, Badagry…

By our reporter

The basic criteria for the appointment of a new Director / Chief Executive Officer to succeed the outgoing Director of the Nigeria French Language Village, NFLV, in Badagry, Lagos State, have been marred and upended outright by alleged corruption, irregularities, lack of transparency and strict adherence to standard operative procedures that define the selection and succession processes.

Aside from the uncovering of these abnormal and sharp practices, some fifth columnists within and outside the governing council of the NFLV, Badagry, Lagos, are bentfoisting highly unqualified academic as successor. They have hurriedly fixed a selection – cum succession interview process to be held on February 4, 2025 against the normative procedures and ethical standard practices, carefully and tactfully , excluding officials of the French Embassy in Nigeria, who should be present as stakeholders.

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It is against this backdrop that concerned Nigerian academics, from all the Federal, State and privately owned universities, with established years of tested knowledge-based skills, competencies and globally acclaimed French proficiency, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to direct the cancellation of the interview hurriedly slated for 4th February , 2025., for breach of due process.

Apart from pleading with President Tinubu, to direct the suspension of the proposed interview, these academics , would want the Presidency to extend the tenure of the incumbent Director/CEO of the NFLV, Badagry , Lagos, Professor Lateef Babatunde Ayekeru, till May 2025.

This, they say, would allow for time to bring in officials of the French Embassy in Nigeria, who would supervise a newly rescheduled interview, selection and succession processes and such an interview can’t be conducted only in the English Language.

They are therefore making a passionate appeal to President Tinubu to “humbly direct” the Minister of Education and allied institutional bodies to order the immediate cancellation of any form of interview exercise by the governing council of the NFLV, Badagry, Lagos.

President Tinubu had risen against similar cases that were characterised by irregularities, lack of transparency and corruption, and had ensured that justice, fairness, and equity prevailed.

In November 2024, Nigerians woke up to the news of the sack of a Vice-Chancellor and Council Chair of a Federal University by the Presidency, owing to similar discrepancies, currently playing out at the NFLV Badagry, LAGOS.

Then, some highly ignorant Nigerians, including some uninformed federal lawmakers and citizens alike, criticized the President and the Minister of Education.

President Tinubu took the most appropriate discretionary measures expected of a leader.

Today, another federal institution, known as the NIFVL, is hoisting the flag of unbriddled corruption, elevated to a very toxic level, throwing due processes to the back waters, as it is in a hurry to appoint a new Director/CEO ,

Investigations by our reporter show that on record, only six (6) professors applied for the big job and that they may not be the most qualified for the job.

Few days to the February 4 , 2025 hurriedly fixed interview date, our findings further show that most of the professors who applied have yet to be officially notified, neither have they been given explanations as to why they have not been invited for the said interview.

Further investigations by our reporter showed that the criteria for short-listing some of the applicants remained unknown even as
investigations had shown that the shortlisted applicants did not meet all the criteria, thus questioning the factors that were deployed by the governing council of the NFLV Badagry, Lagos, in disqualifying others.

Given that the selection committee of the NFLV Badagry, Lagos, has the prerogative to set its own criteria, what would members of the said committee say is their interpretation of the criteria set out in the advert, bordering on :

[ 1] Scholarship

[ 2 ] Experience at top levels of university administration

[ 3 ] Extensive cognate, administrative experience.

Again, how will the NFLV, Badagry, Lagos, Governing Council, justify the shortlisting of candidates who did not meet all the criteria as findings by our reporter also showed that most of the shortlisted candidates had neither been HOD, Dean, Director, nor Senate/Council members in their various institution. How were they, therefore, shortlisted?

This report is to advert the attention of the federal government to need to act expeditiously and decisively and punish such negatively re-inforcing character – traits, that have the capacity to embarrass the presidency and the federal government

A quick interventionist move by the federal government will save the Ivory tower and restore the dignity of the academia. It is also a clarion call to members of the National Intelligence Community to take the necessary institutional measures to arrest the situation ahead of Tuesday February 4, 2025 on the premises of the NFLV Badagry, Lagos State.

The proactive interventionist presidential action that corrected the anomalies at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, should also guide the actions of the Governing Council of the NFLV.

The situation, playing out and possibly being spearheaded by a cabal at the NFLV Badagry, Lagos, can best be summarized as one of “SELECTIVE DISCRIMINATION” as the Presidency should not spare anyone found to be involved in the act which points to the fact that some of the applicants were contacted prior to the shortlisting while others were sidelined.

To save the current administration and the governing Council of NFLV, the Registrar as well as the Governing Council of The NFLV Badagry, Lagos, should immediately retrace their steps.

In line with extant Presidential directives, the Governing Council of the Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, Lagos, must consider extending the tenure of the incumbent for a period of not less than three months to enable the selection committee carry out its job without fear or favour, transparently, fairly, equitably and justly, as the re-scheduled interview, must be conducted in collaboration with the Embassy of France to truly test the linguistic competence of the candidates as a stitch in time saves nine.