Steuart Wright
Political scientists at four universities are in a foul mood over the expedient job-hunting behaviour of internationally respected Nigerian academic Professor Oye
They said the charming political scientist and international relations specialist had simultaneously signed contracts for three chairs at their universities at the end of last year.
However, news of each university’s “latest” acquistion soon got around and Ogunbadejo has now been refused posts at all four universities.
Ogunbadejo hit South Africa on the job trail towards the end of last year. He appeared to be a great prospect — he was accomplished, charming and he looked to be a good
After a tour which took him from Cape Town to Zululand, he returned home to Nigeria in December with professorships lined up at the politics departments of Rhodes University, the University of the Western Cape and the University of Port Elizabeth. The University of Zululand had also offered him a post, but he turned it down.
University of Durban Westville politics head, Professor John Daniels, said he sat in as an independent assessor for Ogunbadejo’s job interviews with the University of Zululand and UWC. He was impressed.
Daniels said: “He is an incredibly impressive academic and he interviews extremely well. I supported his application for both posts.”
A source at Rhodes’ Politics Department said: “He was here on a Human Sciences Research Council fellowship. There was a vacancy and we could offer him a chair. There is no doubt we wanted him, he is an excellent teacher and distinguished
However, it is understood that Rhodes politics head Professor Roger Southall went to great lengths to open up a closed chair for Ogunbadejo. Southall declined to comment on this point.
It also appears that Ogunbadegjo spent time chatting intensively about his teaching schedules and detailed working arrangements.
He apparently said he had to go to Port Elizabeth for a day to sort something out — where he did much of the same at
UPE personnel director Chris Serfontein, UWC acting vice rector Professor Colin Bundy and Southall all said their offer for employment was withdrawn after they learned about the professor’s odd employment practices.
The source at Rhodes said: “I think he was trying to get the best deal but he screwed up by accepting all three.”
But Ogunbadejo — who is now “uncontactable” according to one of the academics — has hit back. The M&G has been told about a personal letter to Daniels in which Ogunbadejo lays into Southall.
Daniels said: “He seems to feel that Southall undermined his chances of taking up posts at UPE and UWC because he (Southall) wanted to keep him at Rhodes, but that is a pretty flimsy excuse.”
Reacting to the claim, Southall said: “To suggest I have any influence (at UPE or UWC) is absolute rubbish. Basically he knows he made a screw-up and he doesn’t want to blame himself.”
Serfontein said of Ogunbadejo’s actions: “It was unethical, in bad faith and it is just not done. It is also an unfair labour practice on his side.”
However, Ogunbadejo, in his letter to Daniels, said that although he accepted the three posts he was still negotiating salaries and there was a delay at UWC; in the meantime he accepted the UPE post but he only intended lecturing there for a year before joining UWC.
Unperturbed by the angry reaction from the four universities, Ogunbadejo is keen to return.
In his letter to Daniels he said: “I love South Africa and would love a permanent job in the republic.” He asked Daniel to “look out” for any opportunities.
But Daniels says his chances are slim. “There is no way any university would accept him after this kind of behavior.” – – Ecna