By Lekan Bilesanmi

The attempt by the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Professor Osayuiki G. Oshodin, the former Registrar, Mrs. Gladys Ogboghodo, and the Senate of the university to withdraw, through the backdoor, the Professor Emeritus Status of Andrew G. Onokerhoraye, a former Vice Chancellor of the university, has been declared null and void.

At its 142 Regular Meeting, held on Wednesday, 22nd and Friday, 24th April, 2015, the Council of UNIBEN, which has the final authority on the issue of the appointment of Professor Emeritus, considered the petition from Onokerhoraye and frowned at the Senate for not following the regulations of the university.

The UNIBEN Council’s decision, communicated to Senate by the new Registrar, Mrs. O. A. Oshodin, who, incidentally is the wife of the Immediate past Vice Chancellor, on the 7th May, 2015, in a letter under ref: REG/CCM/COM 12/Vol.10/554, said Council, after due consideration of the process of appointing a Professor Emeritus, as stipulated in Section 5.2 of the university’s extant rules and regulations, decided to revoke and asked members of the public to disregard Senate purported decision to withdraw  Onokerhoraye’s Professor Emeritus status.

Council pointed out that the Professor Emeritus status was conferred on Onokerhoraye by Council and not the Senate and, even if there were to be any provision in the regulation for the withdrawal of such an honour and there is no such provision in the extant regulations, it is only Council that can do so and not Senate. The Council reaffirmed that the Professor Emeritus honour is for life as it is in the academic world. The Council directed the university administration to apologise to Onokerhoraye and give adequate publicity to it as it did during the Senate decision.

The Senate of the UNIBEN, under the leadership of  Oshodin, had, in September 2014, withdrawn the professorial status of  Onokerhoraye on the grounds that he failed to attend Senate meetings and did  not carry out other activities. In his reaction at that time, the Professor Emeritus described the decision of the Senate as null and void because it did not follow the regulations of the university. He pointed out that the then Registrar had no authority to present a memo to the Senate on the issue of Professor Emeritus because the position is not under the Registry. Furthermore, Onokerhoraye stated that the university Senate had no power to withdraw the honour as it is for life.