Date Published: 12/30/09

Fraudulent Appointment of UNIBEN Vice-Chancellor

In October 2009, when the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, inaugurated the new Governing Council of University of Benin with the directive that the process of the appointment of a new VC should be completed within six weeks, we all hailed the bold directive with a sigh of relief and looked forward to have a Vice-Chancellor appointed on merit.

The exercise was scheduled for 24 th/25 th November followed by the el-de-kabir holidays on the 26 th/27 th and Council was to meet and approve the recommendation from the Joint Senate/Council Selection Board on the 30 th November.

Since then, there have been serious allegation of breach of selection process where the candidate who was earlier rated 7 th was later moved to the 3 rd position and his name included among the three names recommended to Council. While the first and second candidates were denied, this particular third candidate was announced the Vice-Chancellor. This candidate now goes about proclaiming that he was appointed by the Grace of God and “the power of our ancestors” and not by merit. This shady procedure adopted by Council without any explanation is most unacademic and uninspiring at this age and time where meritocracy should reign over all primordial considerations in an academic environment. This should not be allowed to happen in University of Benin, a Federal University, known for high academic reputation and scholastic achievement.

There has always been a precedence of selecting a Vice-Chancellor in University of Benin based on merit and fairness where the best candidate with the highest score in the interview is always appointed. We have also seen a case in the past that if the best candidate that emerged has some disciplinary issues, the next best candidate is given the position. In this case, the Governing Council has not thrown light in their decision as if the Council meeting is now like a conclave and supreme court-like where the pronouncements that come out of it has no appeal, no explanations and must be taken whether right or wrong. This is against academic culture.

Haaba; this should not be allowed in an academic institution! Even Nigerian political parties seem to do fairer in their decisions than the Governing Council of University of Benin. Merit should be recognized and upheld so that wrong signals are not given to students and staff of the University of Benin. This act can be infectious, eventually spread to others Universities and destroy academic merit in Universities; where the award of a first class Degree could go to the highest monetary bidder, or to be on ethnic/tribal considerations, ancestral interventions and even on quota basis. At the end of all these, what will be the value of education in Nigeria?

The Minister of Education must resolve this matter with urgency.

Nosa Okhomina

Benin City.

nosaokhom@yahoo.com