In 1997/1998, the then new administration of the University of Ilorin embarked on the massive misuse of the “temporary appointment” clause in the university regulations to recruit hundreds of staff into academic and non-academic positions in the university.
The opposition of the academic staff union of the university to the massive misuse of the temporary appointment to serve parochial interests, led to conflict with the administration. While the union was concerned about the potential devaluation of the academic currency in the university, its opposition to the administration on this issue turned out to be the initial trigger for what was to be later known as the “Unilorin Crisis” and the eventual termination of the appointment of 49 academics of the University including members of the executive of the academic staff union.
The “temporary appointment” mode is a non-competitive mode of appointment through which the Vice-Chancellor could appoint staff without advertisement in a situation of urgent need (e.g., death or sudden absence of a crucial staff member). Prior to 1997 the use of the mode was virtually unknown in UNILORIN, as every prospective employee had to respond to an advertisement and undergo a rigorously competitive interview aimed at ensuring quality recruitments.
But now, twenty-five years after, the Federal government has put a stop to the use of the temporary appointment mode for the recruitment of academic staff except for Senior Lecturers and Professors. The FG also pegged such appointments to one year duration only.
By this development, the “temporary appointment” mode reverts to its original aim of bringing in well qualified personnel in situations of urgent need to help fill genuine gaps and only on a temporary basis.
While this is a welcome development, it is clear that much preventable damage had been done by allowing the misuse of the temporary appointment mode to persist for so long.