By Charles Kumolu

A former Vice Chancellor of University of Benin, UNIBEN, Prof. Andrew Onokerhoraye, has described as baseless, the reasons given by the institution for stripping him of his appointment as Professor Emeritus .

He noted that the decision was capable of unleashing incalculable damage to the reputation of the institution.

The Senate of UNIBEN had announced that it had stripped Onokerhoraye of his appointment, claiming that the former Vice Chancellor had refused to carry out his responsibilities as Professor Emeritus of the university.

Onokerhoraye, in a letter to the Registrar of UNIBEN regretted that he was not given the right to fair hearing, adding that the Governing Council of the university was not consulted before the decision was taken.

“My attention has been drawn to a memo, which you presented to the Senate  at its meeting  on September 24, 2014 in your capacity as Secretary to Senate supposedly recommending that the honour granted me by the University of Benin  as Professor Emeritus should be withdrawn. In the said memo, you gave two reasons for your recommendation. First, that I  have not been attending Senate meetings. Secondly,  that I have not been carrying out other responsibilities as Professor Emeritus.

“Let me state that the Professor Emeritus  cadre was instituted in this university during my tenure as Vice Chancellor following the report to Senate and Council  by the Elaho Committee which I set up and directed to visit the five first generation universities in the country  to learn from their experiences and make recommendations which the committee did.  The Council and Senate accepted their recommendations after some amendments  and these now constitute the  guidelines  for the appointment of Professor Emeritus in the university.’’