Professor Daniel Iyorkegh Saror, former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has recalled how opposition to his administration escalated into petitions, demonstrations and the alleged deployment of a snake to his office in an attempt to force him out of the university
Saror, who served as ABU Vice Chancellor between 1991 and 1995, said the crisis became particularly intense towards the end of his tenure when some members of the academic community opposed his leadership
He said he first became aware of a petition written against him by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while returning from Gboko, where he had gone with his family for a chieftaincy ceremony
He spoke on Reminiscences, a programme, on Trust TV
“I got to hear about it when I came home with my family to receive a chieftaincy title in Gboko on December 31, 1994”
“On the way back to Zaria, on the radio I was hearing how ASUU had written a petition against me I was dumbfounded”, he recalled.
Saror said he subsequently went to the Kaduna office of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and requested an opportunity to respond to the allegations contained in the petition, which he said was granted
He, however, said the controversy did not end there
He said demonstrations followed and the university’s Senate Building was reportedly locked during the crisis
According to him, the hostility was partly connected to disagreements over the management of the university following the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), which affected the university system
Saror said some members of ASUU wanted greater involvement in the management of universities, a position he resisted as vice chancellor
“At the end of that agreement, they really wanted to be part of the management of the universities, which was a bit weird And because I stood firm, they were not happy with me,” he said.
The former vice chancellor said the opposition became so intense that he eventually heard that a snake had been brought into his office as part of efforts to frighten him into resigning
Asked about the snake issue, the foreman VC and former senator said:
“Oh yes It was very real,” Saror said, recalling that a local snake charmer from Shika, whom he identified as Haruna, was brought into the matter.
“There was a snake in my office A man called Haruna from Shika, whom I knew, was a snake charmer. They recruited him and he brought the snake. They wanted me to resign, but I refused. I told them only Abacha, as the head of state and visitor to the university, could remove me”, he submitted.
He said the people behind the move wanted him to resign, but he refused, insisting that only the military government had the authority to remove him from office
The crisis also attracted the intervention of the military government, with then Head of State, General Sani Abacha, setting up a commission of inquiry headed by Major-General Mamman Kontagora to investigate the unrest
Saror said he was surprised that the commission submitted its report shortly before the end of his tenure and recommended that he be removed, even though he had already informed the university council that he would not seek a second term
He said he was eventually allowed to complete his tenure and handed over to Kontagora, who was subsequently appointed sole administrator of the university
ABU’s official history lists Saror as the university’s seventh vice chancellor, serving from 1991 to 1995, before Kontagora took over as sole administrator from 1995
Saror said the controversy did not permanently sever his relationship with the university
He noted that he later sold his agricultural farm in Zaria to ABU and was also honoured by the university’s alumni association years after leaving office
He said the experience nevertheless influenced his decision not to seek another term, as the hostility had become intense enough for him to worry about the safety of himself and his family