Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has expressed worry over the overbearing influence of politicians in the choice of who becomes vice chancellor of federal universities in the country which he said is usually geared towards election rigging.
Wike alleged that only compromised academics who are willing to submit names of politically exposed lecturers as returning officers to rig elections for the ruling party are being appointed as vice chancellors of federal universities.
Declaring that those contemplating to rig elections in Rivers State will be treated as a coup plotters, he warned vice chancellors and lecturers to be wary of attempts by some unscrupulous politicians to use them to manipulate elections.
Wike stated this during the foundation laying ceremony for the construction of a 9200-capacity ultramodern convocation arena in the University of Port Harcourt by the Rivers State Government on Tuesday.
“Let me warn. Not one person will dare to rig election in Rivers State. Not one person will dare it. I have told people: allow university community to produce those who will be leaders of this country. Don’t turn university community to be where you will have politicians who manipulate and change the mandate of the people. Anybody who does that, you know it is a coup and you know the punishment for coup plotters.”
Wike stressed that the reason there is now so much tussle for who emerges vice chancellor of a federal university is because of the political interference by extraneous forces.
He described as heartrending, a situation where lecturers who are supposed to be revered in society willfully compromise their integrity just to become vice chancellor; who will afterwards be used to manipulate elections.
“These days, you see a lecturer, a PhD holder, a professor ready to soil his name, to allow himself to be kidnapped and taken somewhere to sign result and to declare somebody who did not win election
