In an era when Nigerian university system is facing difficult time in global rating and acceptance, it beats our imagination and creates sense of serious discomfort that a group is more interested in promoting clannish agenda. Why should any group by whatever name called be more concerned with this seemingly dangerous sentiment without considering the implications of such position on the university?

University of Nigeria Nsukka as the first indigenous university to be fully owned by Nigeria should by matter of right belong to all Nigerians irrespective of where it is situated. UNN is founded and funded to provide academic and research leadership not only to Nigeria but to the entire Africa and beyond so why should any group be more interested in reducing the supposedly global status of UNN to clannish agenda?

Rather than focusing on providing cutting-edge research in solving the avalanche of  socio-political and economic challenges in our contemporary world and demanding for globally recognised candidate to emerge as the vice chancellor of the university, a group, which is purposely and solely founded to promote this single ugly agenda is only concerned with narrow-minded and dangerous clannish agenda.

University of Nigeria Nsukka, supposedly meant to be the leading hub of intellectual engagements should not be reduced to such. Where in the world is the position of a university vice chancellor given solely on account of place of birth of the candidate? What has happened to merit and excellence which is the hallmark of the university system anywhere in the world?

Why should being an indigene of Nsukka Cultural Zone be the major item to be considered on the-would-be vice chancellor’s curriculum vitae?

We are strongly of the opinion that the search for the next UNN’s vice chancellor should focus on a candidate with global status, capacity, capability and competence to restore the dignity of the university in order TO RESTORE THE DIGNITY OF MAN which is the core essence that advised its establishment. The search should not be reduced to dangerous clannish sentiments that will deplete the fortune of the university.

We dare to submit that if at the end of the search, the search team arrived at a candidate with global status, capacity, capability, competence and intimidating curriculum vitae who coincidentally is from Nsukka Cultural Zone, we will be satisfied.

To us, it is immaterial where the candidate for the next vice chancellor comes from, what will interest us is the repositioning of the university for global reckoning and competitiveness. We are more interested in the original ideals that advised its birth.

No university should sacrifice merit and excellence on the altar of clannish sentiments as being promoted by a group if it wants to be globally relevant.

Recruitment process at all levels should be geared towards attracting the best to the university and not based on any mundane sentiments. University system should prioritise quality, merit, capacity far and above clannish agenda.

 

Prof. Jonas Okoro and Dr Peter Okechukwu wrote from University of Nigeria, Nsukka