The University of Calabar (UNICAL), established in 1975, is a foremost citadel of learning that prides itself in academic excellence and research.
Over the years, the institution has been led by competent scholars who have contributed their quota towards the development of the institution.
In UNICAL, the administration of the current VC, Prof. Florence Obi, will come to an end on November 30, 2025, hence the process towards selecting a new VC has begun with the placement of advert for the position of the VC on national dailies.
In the newspaper advert, the university management highlighted thus: “that the candidate for the office of the Vice Chancellor must hold the rank of Professor for at least ten (10) years by 1st December, 2025. Others are: (i) Have a distinguished academic record with significant contributions to research and scholarship.
(ii) Hold a Ph.D in any academic field. (iii) Be an acclaimed scholar who is a professor of high repute and must have published in academic journals that are both of National and International repute. (iv) have had a wide range of academic and administrative experience. (v) Exhibit strong leadership skills with the ability to drive academic and administrative excellence.
There was no section of the advert that highlights or zones the position of the Vice Chancellor to any part of Nigeria, Cross River State or Local Government Area. The advert is open to all qualified candidates to apply, given the fact that the University of Calabar is a federal institution.
The University Miscellaneous Act (Amendment Act) 2012, states that “There shall be a Vice-Chancellor of a University (in this Act referred to as “the Vice-Chancellor”) who
shall be appointed by the Governing Council” in accordance with the provisions of this section.
The narrative in some quarters that promotes zoning arrangement for the office of the Vice-Chancellor is quite laughable and misleading because a federal university does not operate by zoning in the selection of a Vice Chancellor or any principal officer, rather the qualities of such a candidate must include academic excellence, integrity, wide knowledge of the university system, being an acclaimed scholar of high repute and must have published in academic journals that are both of National and International repute. Also, the basis of appointment should be that the candidate has had a wide range of academic and administrative experiences, be a fair-minded and dynamic individual with a reputation that
is impeccable in his dealing with people at all levels.
Those advocating the adoption of a zoning structure among the senatorial districts or ethnic origin in the selection of a Vice-Chancellor have lost touch with the modern workings of higher institutions of learning.
The University of Calabar should have by now grown beyond ethnic sentiments in appointments of key officers of the institution.
It is unfortunate that while universities across the world are making research breakthroughs in the field of humanities, social sciences, science and technology, Nigerian tertiary institutions are enmeshed in the struggle of who becomes the next Vice-Chancellor, bursar, registrar and other principal officers.
It is high time the Governing Council, the President, and Visitor to the University, de-emphasise the issue of zoning and ethnic considerations in appointments in Nigeria’s citadel of learning, because it breeds mediocrity and undue favouritism.
The time has come for a change of the primordial system of appointments and revert to a new order where merit, achievement, experience, service to humanity and charisma as well as intellectual capability are top priorities in appointments of managers of university system.
It is disheartening to hear mundane arguments by some academics and non- academics that it is the turn of north or south or central and so on once the processes of selection of Vice-Chancellor or other principal officers kicks-off.
It is sad that even some groups who have little or nothing to contribute in the process also beat ethnic drums just to rubbish and inflame the entire system.
This should be the auspicious time to redirect our energies in doing the right thing by appointing the chief executive of our institutions based on merit and ability to deliver in the area of research, teaching and learning upon which the university was founded on.
We advise those aspiring to lead the university in whatever form to lay emphasis on what they can bring into the system and how they intend to turn around the academic community, rather than dissipating energy whipping up sentiments.
The university community is the heart of socio-economic development of any country and reducing the leadership to a particular geo-ethnic group is the highest level of clannishness.
The intellectual community and all stakeholders interested in the affairs of the university of Calabar should rise up for once in defense of quality education and service delivery by standing for merit, excellence, credibility, capacity in the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor of UNICAL on December 1, 2025.