A former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Daniel Iyorkegh Saror, has recalled how opposition to his administration allegedly escalated to the point where a snake was brought into his office in an attempt to force him to resign.
Saror said the crisis began with petitions and demonstrations by some members of the university community who disagreed with his administration, particularly over the management of the institution after the implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme.
The former vice chancellor, who led ABU between 1991 and 1995, made the revelation while speaking on Trust TV’s Reminiscences programme, recalling that he first learnt of a petition against him on December 31, 1994, while returning from Gboko, where he had attended a chieftaincy ceremony.
He said he heard reports of the petition against him on radio while travelling to Zaria and later went to the Kaduna office of the Nigerian Television Authority to respond publicly to the allegations.
According to Saror, the controversy subsequently led to demonstrations, while the university’s Senate Building was reportedly locked during the period of heightened tension.
He attributed part of the disagreement to demands by some members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities for greater involvement in the administration of universities, a position he said he rejected.
Saror said the opposition eventually took a more unusual turn when he was informed that a snake had been taken to his office as an intimidation tactic aimed at making him quit.
He identified a snake charmer from Shika, whom he knew as Haruna, as the person allegedly brought into the episode, adding that he refused to resign despite the pressure.
Saror said he maintained that only the then Head of State and visitor to the university, General Sani Abacha, had the authority to remove him from office.
The former vice chancellor added that the crisis later attracted government intervention, with Abacha setting up a commission of inquiry headed by Major-General Mamman Kontagora to investigate the unrest.
He said the commission eventually recommended his removal, although he had already informed the university council that he would not seek another term. Saror said he was nevertheless allowed to complete his tenure before handing over to Kontagora, who became the university’s sole administrator.
Despite the turbulent period, Saror said his relationship with ABU was not permanently damaged, noting that he later sold his agricultural farm in Zaria to the university and was subsequently honoured by its alumni association.
He added that the experience influenced his decision not to seek another tenure, as the hostility had become sufficiently intense to raise concerns about the safety of himself and his family.
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