Disquiet in UNIBEN over sack of Professor, 5 Ph.D Holders, Others theinfrastructurenewsng/?p=3212 Staff of the University of Benin and residents of Edo state are spoiling for war over the sack of a Professor and 15 other senior academic and non-academic staff, including five Ph.D holders by the university authority. The affected staff have vowed to explore all available legal and other options to ensure that justice is done over what they said was a calculated attempt by management of the institution under Professor Osayuki Godwin Oshodin to put them and their families in total hunger and suffering. They stated that the action violates the extant regulations governing the University and contrary to the findings and recommendations of a panel of inquiry which investigated the allegations brought against them. Already, the decision of the University on the matter is contained in a memorandum dated 15th July 2013. Aggrieved staff of the institution whose wards were affected by the massive sack are poised to pull the rug off the feet of the Vice-Chancellor Professor Osayuki Oshodin. They accused the VC of allegedly skewing the university Council’s recommendations “in his personal favor so he can get rid of staff opposed to his style of leadership”. But the Head of Public Affairs of the University, Mr. Harrison Osariemen, when contacted yesterday said the action taken by the institution was not that of a single individual, in apparent reference to the VC. He stated that the Governing council which is the highest decision-making body made the recommendation. Among the victim’s of the sack are senior academic staff such as Professor Anselm Igbafe, Dr Anthony Ijewere, Dr Mrs. Akortha, Dr Stephen Unyimadu, Dr Ophori, Mr. Emmanuel Okon and Y.K. Adebayo Stella Odjimogh. Others in the Senior non-academic staff category include Mrs. May Nwoye, Barrister Folarin Dimowo, Mr. Kehinde Samuel and Messrs. S. Omokheyeke, Daniel Agbonze, Johnbull Osayamen, Richard Okokobioko and Osaigbovo Amaize-Amenze respectively. Investigations showed that Dr Ijewere was sacked over allegations that he was involved in the extorting money from students by forcing them to buy his textbook; Dr Unyimadu was axed for alleged anomalies in publications and use of fake UNIBEN documents including pay slips as Professor to Open University while Mr. Neville Obakhedo was given the boot for allegedly threatening to set ablaze designated areas of the university. Also, Dr Mrs. Roseline Ucheya got the red card for allegedly being involved in exams misconduct, releasing questions to some students and taking them to write exams in her residence, among other offences as well as Mr. Odin Okojie over allegations that he demanded the sum of N40, 000 from a contractor. on his part, Mr. Okegeri was sacked over allegations of extorting money from a student to facilitate her interfaculty transfer while Barrister Folarin Dimowo was kicked out of the university over allegations that he knowingly cleared a student; while Mr. Kehinde Samuel was dismissed for disclosing staff telephone numbers to those who used same to send inciting text messages. But Dr. Ijewere’s case was referred back to the panel of inquiry to carry out “detailed investigation and furnish council with sufficient evidence”, three months after students who were invited to testify before the panel confirmed that “no student was coerced to buy the books “. Worse however is the case of Barrister Folarin Dimowo who was sacked by the university’s council over allegations that he knowingly cleared a student, Miss Pryanka Onaemeran even when the panel of inquiry recommended that he should be warned against future act. The UNIBEN council had recommended that Mr. Kehinde Samuel who was dismissed over allegations of disclosing staff telephone numbers to those who used same to send inciting messages under cover of Congregation campaign/election be warned for “allowing room for such suspicions to be brought up” but he was dismissed at the end. Kehinde said who was not surprised at his fate disclosed that the Vice Chancellor of the university “In January 2013, verbally directed him to assist Professor Egbochukwu and Mr. Omagbon “to win the congregational election into the University governing council which was scheduled for 28th February 2013 by furnishing them with the telephone numbers of staff which the CRPU had obtained during the staff biometric exercise to the exclusion of other contestants”. He added “personally directed me to handover the hard and soft copies to his personal assistant Mr. Dennis Aigbe and Professor (Mrs.) Egbochukwu, which I complied with”. according to him, the Vice-chancellor stated that the duo of Mr. Omagbon and Professor (Mrs.) Egbochukwu were his candidates that must win the election at all cost”. “Further to that directive, he said, Prof. Mrs. Egbochukwu, E.O. via a text message on 6/02/13 sent me her email address to forward the details of the staff telephone numbers to her”. He said “This I obliged in compliance with the Vice-chancellor’s directive and also copied the Vice-Chancellor. Professor (Mrs.) Egbochukwu expressed her gratitude to me for the gesture via an email she sent to me”. Mr. Kehinde Samuel stated further that on 28th February 2013 the VC during the said election claimed that there were text messages sent to incite the University community against him and he know who gave out the numbers for the messages. On this score, he said he was queried by the Registrar. He said he was later invited by the university Security only to be arraigned before the senior Staff Disciplinary Committee on 26 and 27 June 2013, and told that Egbochukwu denied, ‘having any discussion or transaction with me in respect of the telephone numbers which she solicited from me, received and gratefully acknowledged”. UNIBEN VC Reacts…. The Vice Chancellor of University of Benin, Prof. Osayuki Oshodin has denied the allegation that he was behind the sacking of 44 staff of the university. He said the governing council of the institution effected the sack of the staff after a detailed investigation was carried out. “The affected staff were sacked by the Governing Council of the university after they were found to be involved in various offences that bothers on gross misconduct. “Petitions were written against them and the council carried out its investigations, those involved were given fair hearing before decisions were taken the authorities of the university have earlier expelled over 140 students after it was found out that some of them were given fake admission”, the Spokesman of the university”, Harry Osarenren, said. He maintained that“the decision was not that of the VC who has continued to lead the university to the satisfaction of both students and staff, but that of the Governing Council of the University”. He urged aggrieved parties to seek redress through appropriate channels instead of resorting to wild allegations. From Ugochukwu Umeh in Benin City
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 01:14:42 +0000
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