Indigenes Protest Against OAU New VC.
Some indigenes of Osun state, Ile-Ife, on Wednesday, hit the street to protest against the newly appointed Vice Chancellor a Professor of Agricultural Economics, Adebayo Bamire, who would be taking over from Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede as the 12th Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Chief Owelle Udoji, who made the announcement, said Bamire’s appointment is effective from June 7 2022. According to Chief Owelle, 19 candidates pushed for the position and the selection was witnessed by a representatives of the Federal Character commission.
The protesters who had gathered near the Centre of Excellence, venue of the press conference, complained that an indigene of Ile-Ife should have been appointed in lieu of Prof. Bamire.
The pronouncement led to a total shutdown of the campus, which left workers and other visitors stranded. Mr. Bimbo Afolabi, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, described the appointment of a non-Ife indigene as the Vice Chancellor was “unfair”.
Furthermore he said, “It is a slander against us that after 61 years, they deemed it unfit to appoint or to elect any of our sons. We are not particular about Ife, but how about Ipetumodu, Lorigbo, Modakeke, and anywhere in the land.
“Hence we are advising workers and students not to come to work tomorrow (Friday), because we wont permit any form work come tomorrow Friday, we won’t compromise, we will be here with charms, masquerades, and all sorts of deities.
