By Dele Sobowale

Read How to choose the university to attend (1) here

“The true university these days is a collection of Books.” Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p258).And on the same page of VBQ, C.P. Snow added: “I don’t believe that a man ought to be the Head of a university if he gets detested by all the students and most of the staff.”

Tribute to Late Emeritus Ade Ajayi, O.I.
Before proceeding, I will plead with our readers to join me in mourning the passing away of Emeritus Professor Ade Ajayi, one of Nigeria’s, Africa’s and the world’s greatest historians last week. Incidentally, his name featured in the first part of this series about university selection. He has one of the greatest collections of books in his personal library – which I hope several universities will be fighting to have – if they are not already willed to a lucky beneficiary. I will give an arm and a leg, literally, to get them. Not reading history at the university remains one of my greatest regrets in life. May the Almighty grant Prof. eternal rest. He deserves it.

Who is the VC of the university?

Most people sending their kids to university, and the youngsters themselves seldom bother to find out who is the Vice-Chancellor (or President if an American University) of the university under consideration. That is a pity.

In fact, next to the library and the quality of the teaching staff and other resources, the Vice- Chancellor, VC, as the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, is the most important element in any university environment. From interviews conducted with two and free-wheeling discussions with two other former VCs in Nigeria, as well as the only President of a Nigerian university, Dr Ensign of American University in Nigeria, AUN, one can very quickly obtain an idea of the power, privileges and responsibilities of a typical CEO of a university.

Years ago, as the Editor of the magazine of Igbobi College, THE IGBOBIAN, I was fortunate to interview two former VCs of the nation’s premier university – University of Ibadan. Emeritus Professor Ayo Bamgbose, OFR, and Professor (Dr) Ayodele Falashe, both Old Igbobians, O.Is. Getting an interview was not very difficult. At any rate, while Prof. Bamgbose left Igbobi College before my time, Prof. Falashe was my senior by two years and we were in the same Freeman House.

I was a Senior Lecturer Consultant at the Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, at the time. Naturally, the management aspect of the VC’s role was of particular interest – the structures, systems, controls etc which each VC had instituted to accomplish the goals of the university during his tenure.

This was particularly problematic during the era of military governments under which a VC could be removed for no reason at all and all the long range plans thrown into the dust bin.

The professors might not recollect the interviews but each covered two days, on and off because of other commitments. Although the tenure of Bamgbose and Falashe were separated by a few years and the administration of a former VC of Obafemi Awolowo University, and a former VC of Lagos State University, LASU, were separated by time and space, all VCs are mini-autocrats in their universities.

Few managing directors of well managed quoted companies or ministers of the Federal Government have as much power over their organisations as the VCs.
And, in some universities, especially federal and state universities, where the VC is very close to the Visitor, President or Governor, or Proprietor (in case of private universities) then the VC turns from being a mere semi-autocrat to a monster; wielding so much power which if abused, as they frequently are, can cripple the university for decades.