The University of Calabar, UNICAL, established in 1975, is a foremost citadel of learning that takes prides 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.
As the administration of the current VC, Florence Obi, comes to an end on November 30, 2025, the selection process for a new VC has begun with the advert placement for the position of the VC appropriately done in national dailies.
In the 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.”
Additionally, 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.
To loudly sound it out, there was no section of the advert that insisted that political zones from any part of Cross River State or Nigeria be expressly considered for the position of the Vice Chancellor, but opened the position to all qualified candidates, given that the University of Calabar is a federal institution.
Therefore the narrative in some quarters that promotes a zoning arrangement for the office of the Vice-Chancellor is laughable, misleading and waters down the seriousness of the VC position. We hold seriously that rather than advocate for any zoning arrangement, the selection of a Vice Chancellor or any principal officer, should consider academic excellence, integrity, demonstrable administrative competence and a wide knowledge of how the university system works, before any pick is made.
Again, it is pitiable to hear voices viciously raised and advocating for the adoption of a zoning structure for the selection of a VC when universities across the world are making research breakthroughs in the field of humanities, social sciences, science and technology.
The Governing Council of the institution, must pursue a course that discourages mundane considerations in the appointment of a VC, deliberately pursuing a course that delivers a VC, at home with the key considerations upon which the university was founded on.
Time is on our side; time to emphatically distance ourselves from this primordial system of appointments and revert to an order where merit, achievement, experience, service to humanity and charisma as well as intellectual capability are top priorities in appointments of managers of our university system.This should be the auspicious time to redirect our energies and do the right thing
