Why destroy the UNIBEN brand?

The University of Benin, alumni and key stakeholders around the world are shocked over untoward and negative news about their institution and have all recoiled with disgust at the recent tyrannical and atavistic tendencies of the out-going Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Oshodi, who it is reported, recently took his personal feelings beyond administrative and academic ambits, with the assistance of the University Registrar Mrs Ogboghodo, carried out what could be described as administrative mob-lynching of an academic and administrative icon of the university, Professor Andrew G. Onokerhoraye.

The VC and Registrar jointly deceived the University of Benin Senate into performing an academic and administrative abomination, by illegally via a three paragraph memo under a nebuous “Any Other Business” purportedly stripped the former University Vice-Chancellor, former Harvard Visiting Professor and leading global academic authority, of the title of “Professor Emeritus” confered on him by the University Governing council since November 25, 2010.

In executing this illegal deception, the duo exhibited grave disdain for procedure, failed to check department records of what the ex-VC has done and currently doing for which he has been falsely accused, bypassed extant university regulations and presented trumped up charges of abdication of responsibilities against this reknowed academic to the University Senate, under an unlisted agendum of “A.O.B” so that the issue will not be properly reflected upon or adequately discussed by the University Senate before making such a weighty decision.

That the illicit act could be illegally executed in Senate calls to question the quality of academics, decisional-processesandcurrent Senate membership of the University of Benin, particularly given that important questions were not raised on the issue regarding the nature of the title of “Professor Emeritus” which is traditionally awarded for life, especially where the recipient has not been found wantng of issue of gross academic misconduct or any other issue in the larger society considered embarrassing enough has not been put forward as reasons for this shameful action of Uniben.

More importantly, considering the reasons proffered by the VC and Registrar for their flawed, illegal, ignoble and despicable action; that the Professor Emeritus has failed to perform ‘’routine responsibilities’’, such as failure to supervise post-graduates students.

This is the very shocking and by any standards a none-issue because the ex-VC has long retired from active service. But even more tragic is the fact that a University Senate, made up of supposed professors rubber-stamped such a none-issue.

For this generation of professors of our great institution that do not know and even failed to make enquiries, a “Professor Emeritus” is not a paid staff, is not obligated to supervise students, and only does if he/she so pleases, upon invitation and he/she may accept or decline as a right enshrined in the title, and which is always stated on the letter of award to the honoree.

There is nowhere in the academic world where a holder of the title of Professor Emeritus is subjected to such ‘’routine responsibility’’ compulsorily. It is an honour conferred for past works and contributions to knowledge and not in anticipation of future routine responsibilities.

Nonetheless, even though the Professor is not obligated to so do, inquiries made and confirmed without equivocation from the response of Professor Andrew G. Onokerhoraye to this charade,shows that he is currently supervising five PhD students most of whom have successfully defended their thesis; even active professors on university pay-rolls are not more prolific and able to do as much as this retired scholar.

Moreover, he has been doing this pro-bono, without collecting the privileged compensation which he ought to be entitled to but which he honourably declined according to him. Where in the world, do you strip someone of an honour for providing free services?

Also, they erroneously accused the widely honoured Professor of failing to attend Senate meetings of the university; this is a ridiculous nadir for a globally branded university, that an Emeritus Professor should be compelled to attend Senate sittings.

But assuming such distorting of tradition is true, the University of Benin Senate should have asked to be presented with objective facts, copies of invitations and minutes of meetings where such invitations were defied by their accused, for positivist evaluation and eclectic examination, a simple administrative process that should have prevented the opprobium to which the university has now been subjected to in the academic world. No doubt, the conduct of the out-going VC and the Registrar can only be explained within the realm of malice and not reason or academic logic.

Devoid of such basic requirements for the examination of academic or administrative mysteries, unrestrained by the necessary rigors for facts in any form or description, the University Senate allowed itself to be led into the labyrinths of the mystically propelled, with this arcane outcome.

Now, they have ended up with the abominable, by usurping the powers of the Governing Council, telescoping a process of awarding the title of a “Professor Emeritus” which is a painstaking decision beginning with facts and figures of academic contribution, fecund production of research materials and graduates, as well as administrative contributions, which were prolifically delivered by Professor Onokerhoraye who served the university meritoriously as a lecturer/reseacher, Head of Department, Dean of faculty, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Vice Chancellor.

That the duo of Oshodi and Ogboghodo will attempt to blight such contributions by a stroke of the pen over unstated personal differences is a matter of profound concern to all stakeholders of the university. That a university senate allowed itself to open such an honoured position to the facile and subjective whim of administrative chicanery without scrutiny, is an ultimate climb-down that will come to haunt many.

Indeed these recent actions by the duo of Oshodi and Ogboghodo, are creating the worse forms of negative attribution for the administration of the UNIBEN brand, a brand which many in their collective and individual endeavours all over the world have toiled with brain and brawn to earn and continue to earn with merit and honour.

All such stakeholders must therefore lead in reversing this trend of regression by the duo which has lowered the reputation of the university before the global academic community.

Indeed, all lovers of justice, fairness, and all that is good about academic and administrative procedures must enjoin the Governing Council of the University of Benin, whose powers was unceremoniously usurped by the out-going Vice Chancellor to refrain from this malicious and pernicious attempt to illegally strip Professor Emeritus Andrew G. Onokerhoraye of his well-deserved and hard earned honour.