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| Prof. Ndem Ayara |
As the battle for who succeeds award winning Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Zana Akpagu continue to gather momentum, one name that has continued to reverberate everywhere is Prof. Ndem Ayara, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic.
Ayara's growing popularity is no surprise because apart from his impressive curriculum vitae and antecedents of great performances, he is the shinning light from the zone and bloc that's favoured to produce the next VC.
Although a lot of people have complained and rightly so that there's no document binding the University on any zoning policy, natural justice has always settled the issue and this time around won't be different.
There's no gainsaying that the South have always put up a fight for the position. When Prof. Asuqou was going out and majority of the University Stakeholders had said that the position should go to the central senatorial district, the South didn't relax, they put up a strong fight for the position.
Even in 2015 when it was also the opinion of the majority that Cross River North, the only senatorial district that was yet to produce VC at the time should take a shot, the incumbent faced a turbulent fight from Prof. Offiong Offiong also from the South.
One big lesson that their failed attempt has taught everybody including those from other zones in the race is that no matter how powerful and connected any senatorial district is, zoning will naturally settle all interests when the governing council pronounce the appointment. If it happened during Prof. Epoke and Prof. Akpagu's time, I'll surely happen again.
The good thing God has done is that in the past fifteen years, all the zones that have been favoured to produce VCs have had people with impeccable pedigree and the foresight to continue to place the University on the path of sustainable development.
Prof. Epoke was a good VC, Prof. Akpagu have been an extraordinary administrator and with the enormous capacity Prof. Ndem Ayara has shown, it's clear that he's the right man with the wherewithal to wear the big shoes to be left by the incumbent VC.
A University VC in modern day Nigeria should be someone with vast administrative knowledge within and outside the University. This is exactly what Prof. Ayara offers. He was a leading light as a member of the Cross River State Executive Council, as Head of Department, Sub-Dean, Dean, Chairman of Committee of Deans and now Deputy Vice Chancellor, he always distinguished himself with noble ideas.
With the level Prof. Akpagu has taken the University to, finding someone that would sustain his strides was always going to be a herculean task. Obviously, not 'any' Professor can replace him. Those in charge of appointing his successor need to be mindful not to handover the University to someone that'll put the institution in reverse gear thereby supervising it decline instead of progress.
The involvement of Ayara, a young and energetic administrator who's so enthusiastic about development like Prof. Akpagu should make the work of the governing council easier because the University will be safer with him.
Inyali Peter
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