The attention of members and executives of the Benin Legion has been drawn to a publication in Vanguard aimed at tarnishing the image of the University of Benin Management and the Senate. We believe the said article was authored on the dining table of a former Vice Chancellor who has been doing everything to rubbish the Prof.Osayuki Oshodin – led administration.

The first paragraph of the article, “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 outgoing Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Oshodin,” is an attempt to mislead the public into a sordid conclusion.

For the records, the university alumni are a reflection of the integrity-conscious Senate of the University of Benin. The article is consistent with the voice and speech pattern of the former Vice Chancellor. We make bold to say that the author of the article is on-his-own.

As a body of graduates of the University of Benin, we made several visits to a professor who has been instigating crisis, both at his Etete residence, and his office, to counsel him on the consequences of his outrage against the person of the Pro-Chancellor, Sen. Bob Effiong, and Vice Chancellor. This is sad because in Oshodin we have a VC that has moved the University of Benin forward, to a level that universities in the world use the institution as an example of how a university should be.

In terms of infrastructure, the Oshodin administration has done what many VCs in the past has failed to do: investing funds in areas where the university needed it most and creating employment opportunities unlike many others who will rather misappropriate the funds.

As a matter of fact, when a group in the country was trying to debunk the allegation by ASUU that the Federal Government has failed to provide infrastructure in our universities, UNIBEN was the only institution in Nigeria that they used in an advertorial to showcase the infrastructural development. The question is, who achieved the feat? Oshodin of course!

The acceptability of the UNIBEN Management by the Federal Government is incomparable, because it is one citadel of learning that has given bite to President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda. So we will advise these professors making trouble to desist forthwith particularly now that the University Council has come up with a new VC who will take over from Oshodin in December, after a successful five years in office.

Because  Nigerians must hold public office holders and prestigious title holders accountable for their actions and inactions, so that they are constantly conscious of the implications of resorting to nuisance tendencies. It is high time we stop the run him down syndrome due to selfish interest because such actions are dangerous. Let us commend Oshodin who has done well and also tell those who are not doing well to change their attitude in the interest of posterity. UNIBEN is bigger than any individual and it must grow higher and nobody can run it down, we will not allow that to happen.

Benin Legion