Group cautions against tribal bias for appointment of UNIBEN VC

A group, the Benin Development Union (BeDU), has cautioned against the use of ethnic considerations in the choice of the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of Benin (UNIBEN).

The group said the position should be thrown open for the best brains to drive the process, saying that, tribal consideration was no longer fashionable.

Spokesperson of the group Dr. Franklin Omorowa Ikuobase said this in a statement.

He said the association was never against any regions contesting for Vice Chancellor’s position, noting that the era of championing tribal jingoists has passed, especially in an institution of learning where the best brain was needed to transform the society.

According to him, “We do not take for granted the astute cooperation of Professors and stakeholders of other ethnic or tribal orientations, in the ensuing peace and tranquility in the last 15 years that the vestiges of honour was bequeathed in professors of Benin academic community to manage the ivory tower.

“As a socio-cultural intelligentsia, our preoccupation in the ongoing succession process, is an unwavering demand for competence, character and capacity as the irreducible minimums for would-be VC designate, as the varsity desires a deconstructive narrative from any cleavage of tribal jingoism.

“As a host community organization, we want to see a Vice Chancellor that can aggressively path-find a blend between pro-education private sector operators, and  the sharp-wittedness of the academic and non-academic personnel of the ivory tower.

“So, we want to see a phase in the institution’s life, where automobiles, drones, technological chips and other forms of contemporary technical breakthroughs will be periodically exhibited, as a result of rapid productivity in science and technological grooming of Nigerian students.

“We want to see a phase, in which the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and other industrial hubs agents would make UNIBEN a destination for agricultural and medical equipment manufacturing.

“The vast landmass of the university should reflect in improved aggregation of a variety of products for domestic consumption or export dividends.

“These desirable transformations can only emanate from a competence, character, and capacity proof selection process, and not from anyone or a group of tribal jingoists.

“To this end, we respectfully proclaim that anyone dropping the name of our socio-cultural group, as though we have endorsed him based on tribal affiliation, should be rejected, as such a candidate’s aspiration runs a-mock to aims and objectives of the University of Benin host community stakeholders.”