By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
Indigenes of Ile Ife in Osun State on Monday resumed their protest against the appointment of a non-native of the town as the Vice Chancellor of the Obademi Awolowo University (OAU).
The protest at the gate of the university disrupted vehicular movement in and out of the campus.
The protesters said they were not hoodlums nor thieves but they were at the university gate to register their displeasure over the marginalisation of indigenes of the town, who were qualified and competent to head the university.
They said: “We are asking the Council of Obafemi Awolowo University to allow an Ife indigene to head this campus.”
The protesters asked students and members of staff to go back home, adding that Ife indigenes were being enslaved and it was time for them to rule.
The Governing Council of the university had on Thursday announced the appointment of a Professor of Agricultural Economics from the university’s Faculty of Agriculture, Adebayo Bamire, as the new VC.
The council’s chairman, Osear Udoji, who made the announcement, said Bamire defeated 19 others who applied for the job to emerge the 12th Vice-Chancellor of the university.
The appointment of Bamire was greeted with protest by the indigenes, who trooped out to reject the appointment
The leader of the protesters, Bimbo Afolabi, said Ife community was displeased with decision of the Governing Council of the university to appoint a non-native of Ife as VC despite their plea for an opportunity to produce VC for the first time in the history of the institution
Recall that there were similar agitations over the appointment of VC for the university in the past.
However, Prof. Anthony Elujoba, an indigene of Ife was appointed as an acting Vice Chancellor following the rejection of Prof. Ayobami Salami, who was announced by the Governing Council but many workers in the university opposed his appointment.
They claimed that Salami was installed by the then VC, Prof. Bantale Omole, to cover his alleged misdeeds while in office and the process was started all over again. Elujoba was appointed in the interim capacity.
At the end of a fresh election process, the outgoing VC, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, was appointed.
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