Controversy Trails Choice Of New University of Maiduguri VC

Controversy is trailing the choice of a new vice chancellor for the University of Maiduguri (UniMaid) made by the joint University of Maiduguri and Senate Selection Board that interviewed 11 candidates for that position and recommended three.

The current vice chancellor of the university, Professor Mala M. Daura, will leave office on June 2, 2014.

The board, which sat on Thursday, April 25, in Abuja, Prof. Ibrahim Njodi, who is the current deputy vice chancellor (Academic) of UniMaid, scored a total mark of 90.1 while the second and third persons were Prof. Isa Hussaini Marte of the university’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences scored 71.2 and Prof. Abubakar Kundiri scored 69.5.

Others interviewed include Prof Bukar Bababe (Soil Science), Prof Yakubu Bila (Agric Econs), Prof. Umar Sandabe (Veterinary Medicine), Prof. Sheriff Modu (Biochemistry), Prof. Ibrahim B. Goni (Geology), Prof. Tijani El-Miskin  (Arabic and Islamic Studies), Prof. Yagani Kaarta (Languages and Linguistics), all of UniMaid, and Prof. Ibrahim Iliya (Geography) from Othman DanFodio University, Sokoto.

Subsequently, it was recommended to the authorities to choose from Njodi, Marte and Kundiri. However, with Njodi as the clear favourite based on merit and competence, some individuals and groups are pushing for ethnicity and state of origin to be the basis of appointment. (Leadership)