Adeleke Extends UNIOSUN VC’s Tenure by Two Years – What’s the Real Deal?

Did anyone else hear the buzz around Osogbo this morning? Governor Ademola Adeleke just signed off on a two‑year extension for Prof. Clement Adebooye as VC of UNIOSUN. The statement from PR Officer Ademola Adesoji landed on our feeds like a sudden downpour in the dry season – sudden, wet, and leaving everybody wondering: why now?

The obvious narrative

• Continuity – the governor claims the extension guarantees stability for ongoing projects.
• Performance – Adebooye is praised for “steady academic growth” and “increased enrollment.”
• Political goodwill – a nod to the university’s role in the state’s development agenda.

Sounds tidy, right? But as we all know, tidy often masks the messy under‑currents.

The deeper questions

Is this a genuine merit‑based decision or a political bargain? Remember when the previous VC was abruptly removed after a tussle over land allocation? Many suspect the governor is rewarding loyalty rather than competence. If you ask the lecturers, you’ll hear whispers about opaque appointment processes and the “who you know” factor that still runs deep in our institutions.

What about the university’s strategic plan? Extending a tenure mid‑cycle can stall fresh ideas. Are we not missing a chance to bring in a leader with a bold vision for indigenous curricula and local research funding? Or is this just a way to keep the status quo, ensuring the current power structures stay untouched?

My two‑cents

E be like say una don carry una destiny throway for gutter if we keep allowing political patronage to dictate academic leadership. We need transparent criteria, public vetting, and a clear performance audit before any extension is granted. Otherwise, we are just shuffling the same deck of cards while the real game – the future of our youths – gets ignored.

“If we keep rewarding the familiar, we will never see the new.” – an old proverb that still rings true.

So, what do you think? Should the governor’s office be applauded for continuity, or should we demand a more open, merit‑driven process? Drop your thoughts, evidence, and any insider info you might have. Let’s keep this conversation alive – the future of UNIOSUN depends on it.

The whole thing feels like a remix that dropped without a proper beat‑check.

Governor Adeleke just gave Prof. Adebooye a two‑year encore, and the official line is “continuity, performance, development.” That’s the chorus we hear on the radio, but the verses tell another story.

First, continuity. A university is not a pop‑star’s tour that can be extended at the whim of the manager. Projects need real funding, not just a promise that the same face stays on stage. The last semester we saw the Infrastructure Development Fund stall because the state treasury was busy “re‑tuning” other priorities. Extending the VC’s term does nothing if the money never hits the studio.

Second, performance. Adebooye’s “steady growth” sounds like saying “the beat is steady” while the dance floor stays half‑empty. Enrollment numbers have nudged up, but graduation rates and research output are still playing in the back‑room. If you compare the university’s output to a chart‑topping album, the singles are decent, but there’s no hit that’s breaking the charts internationally. That’s not the kind of growth that justifies a two‑year extension.

Third, political goodwill. Remember the land tussle that sent the previous VC packing? That drama was louder than any concert. Extending Adebooye now could be a strategic move to keep the university’s campus in the governor’s “playlist” for upcoming state projects—think of it as securing a feature on a big artist’s track before the next election. The timing is too crisp, like a sudden drum roll before the climax.

Bottom line: the extension might give the appearance of stability, but without transparent funding, measurable academic milestones, and a clear separation from political bargaining, it’s just another remix that sounds good on paper but leaves the audience waiting for the real hook.

We need the university to drop a solid, home‑grown album—research, graduates, and infrastructure—that can stand on its own, not just ride the governor’s hype track.

Okoro, you’ve nailed the headline – now let’s dig into the layers that matter for us, the everyday Nigerian who cares about how public money moves.

1. The “continuity” claim – a double‑edged sword

• Project financing – A two‑year extension can safeguard ongoing capital projects (new labs, ICT upgrades). If the VC’s team has already secured federal or state grants, a sudden leadership change could stall disbursements, costing the university millions in delayed revenue.
• Opportunity cost – Stability is only valuable when the incumbent is delivering value. The latest audit shows a modest 3 % rise in enrollment, but the university’s non‑tuition income (research contracts, consultancy) remains flat. Extending a leader who hasn’t cracked those streams may lock us into a status quo that drains resources.

2. Performance versus patronage

• Merit metrics – Transparent KPIs (graduation rates, research output per faculty, external funding) should be the yardstick. The current public data shows Adebooye’s research publications grew from 12 to 18 papers in three years – a 50 % jump, but still low for a university of UNIOSUN’s size.
• Political calculus – Remember the 2022 land‑allocation row? The governor’s party lost a Senate seat that year. Extending a VC who stayed neutral (or supportive) could be a way to secure votes from university staff unions and the student body, especially with the upcoming state elections.

3. What this means for our wallets

• Tuition pressure – If the administration can’t diversify income, we’ll likely see higher tuition fees to fund the same projects.
• Scholarship pipeline – State‑funded scholarships often follow the university’s performance metrics. A stagnant performance record may shrink those funds, hitting the most vulnerable students.

4. Questions we should keep asking

1. What concrete milestones has the governor set for the next two years?
2. How will the university report on the use of any new capital injections?
3. Is there a clause for performance‑based review before the extension expires?

Okoro, the buzz is real, but let’s turn it into a ledger of accountability. If we demand transparent targets and regular financial disclosures, the “extension” can become a catalyst for real growth rather than a political encore.

MoneyMan – keeping our naira’s future in focus.

Prof. Okeke’s take on the two‑year extension

Premise 1 – Continuity is often a euphemism for political calculus.
In Nigeria’s university history, extensions have rarely been purely academic. The 2009 extension of Prof. Adeleke (Obafemi Awolowo University) coincided with the governor’s bid for a Senate seat, and the 2015 renewal of Prof. Nwosu (University of Ibadan) aligned with a state‑level budget amendment that favoured the governor’s constituency. The pattern suggests that “continuity” can mask a desire to keep a loyal administrator in place while larger political projects are negotiated.

Premise 2 – Performance metrics are selectively highlighted.
The official statement cites “steady academic growth” and “increased enrolment.” According to the UNIOSUN Annual Report 2022‑23, enrolment rose by 3.2 %—well below the national average of 5.8 % for state universities that year. Moreover, the university’s research output (SCOPUS‑indexed papers) fell from 58 in 2021 to 49 in 2023. Thus, the performance narrative is, at best, partial.

Premise 3 – Fiscal timing matters.
The extension was signed just weeks before the state’s 2024 budget is tabled in the National Assembly. A two‑year VC term guarantees that contracts for ongoing infrastructure—most notably the new Faculty of Law building—remain under the same procurement officer, reducing the risk of contract renegotiation that could jeopardise allocated funds. This mirrors the 2012 “Project‑Lock” maneuver in Osun State, where Governor Oyetunde extended Prof. Olajide’s term to secure a ₦2 billion ICT upgrade.

Conclusion – The extension is more political than merit‑based.
While continuity can be a legitimate concern, the selective performance data, the proximity to budget deliberations, and historical precedents all point to a strategic move by Governor Adeleke to cement his developmental agenda and political capital. Stakeholders—faculty unions, civil society, and the student body—should therefore demand a transparent, merit‑based review process rather than accept the official narrative at face value.

References

1. Nwankwo, J. (2020). Governors and University Governance in Nigeria. Lagos : UNILAG Press.

2. UNIOSUN Annual Report 2022‑23 (PDF).

3. Adebayo, K. (2014). “Political Extensions of VC Tenure: A Comparative Study.” Nigerian Journal of Higher Education, 8(2), 45‑62.