Benin, Nigeria – By Oladipo Airenakho
Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has signed into law a bill amending the tenure of the Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma from a 4-year renewable tenure to a 5-year single non-renewable tenure.
While assenting to the bill, Oshiomhole said the need to conform to the best practices as obtained in other national universities as well as ensure peace and development in the university made it necessary for the Ambrose Alli University Vice Chancellor’s tenure to be amended.
“We have decided to amend the section as regards to the tenure of the Vice Chancellor in order to bring it in conformity with the general practice around the country.
“It is now a public secret that the tenure of Vice Chancellors in Federal Universities has been adjusted to 5 -year single tenure that is non-renewable.”
According to him, the tenure of the Vice Chancellor under the AAU Act had been a 4-year renewable tenure which means the VC can sometimes spend up to 8 years as Vice Chancellor.
“It is an open secret that the competition for Vice Chancellorship has assumed a dimension that can be quite dysfunctional to the peace and harmony and even the academic environment of the university.
“I am therefore convinced that the idea of limiting the tenure to one term of 5 years is helpful,” the Governor asserted.
Governor Oshiomhole also expressed his satisfaction with the administration of the present Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Cordelia Agbebaku which he acknowledged has brought lot of development to the institution through astute management of resources as well as stabilizing the university and ensuring peace.
“I also want to use this opportunity to state that Edo State Government based on the reports that we are receiving and we have continued to receive from the Council of the Ambrose Alli University and our own general overview of the going on at the university, I am convinced that the Vice Chancellor is doing a fantastic job under a very difficult environment.”
The Governor affirmed, “The tenure of the present VC by this amendment automatically would be 5 years and I hope this would lay to rest those who are agitating, who are arguing that the tenure of the Vice Chancellor has expired.
“It has not, not only because we have amended this law but also that the last Vice Chancellor who was there spent a period of 5 years though the law hadn’t been amended.
“Once you start a tradition, particularly a tradition that works, it is better to stick to the tradition. I think the tradition worked and that is why we have formally amended the law to incorporate this tradition into the law and therefore the present Vice Chancellor will enjoy the privilege and carry the burden of 5 years, one single term that is non-renewable.”
