By Tony Okafor
Tansian University, founded on the ideals of knowledge, character, Christian values and human development, has in recent times attracted far too much attention for reasons that have little to do with scholarship.
Leadership tussles, governance controversies, allegations and counter-allegations, administrative disputes and court interventions have combined to create an atmosphere unbecoming of an institution of higher learning.
The latest reported development—the death of a senior university officer following his reported assumption of office—is tragic and deeply unsettling.
Coming against the background of the controversies that have surrounded the institution, the death will inevitably provoke questions and concerns.
In a society where people hold diverse spiritual and cultural beliefs, some may attach mysterious or spiritual interpretations to such a sudden death.
In our considered opinion, the circumstances surrounding the death should be left to competent medical and investigative authorities to establish.
But there is an even bigger question: How did a university get to this point?
A university cannot thrive where personalities become bigger than institutions, where offices become battlefields, and where governance is conducted amid distrust and confrontation.
Tansian University belongs to generations beyond the individuals currently contesting positions or defending interests. Its students are not responsible for its disputes.
Its academic and non-academic staff should not become casualties of institutional disagreements. Parents who entrust their children to the university deserve confidence, stability and an environment conducive to learning.
We therefore appeal to every stakeholder: let there be quiet at Tansian University.
Let the courts determine matters properly before them. Let the Governing Council exercise its governance responsibilities. Let the Board of Trustees discharge its responsibilities within the law and the university’s governing framework. Let management focus on administration, while academic staff concentrate on teaching, research and mentorship.
Above all, let every stakeholder place the future of the university above personal differences and institutional contests.
Tansian University needs healing—not battles.
There comes a time in the life of every institution when the noise must stop, tempers must cool, and every stakeholder must pause to ask a simple but profound question:
What are we doing to our university?
Let there be quiet. Let there be reason. Let there be peace.
