Uniben Development Stakeholders Forum

The struggle to restore the sanctity of the University of Benin's Bursary Department: Deliberate subversion of the truth for mischief purpose by an anonymous Women's rights advocacy group; the right of reply. 14/01/2012

Our attention has been drawn to a diabolically orchestrated article that was authored by a so called Committee for the Protection of Women's Rights in Government and published in the Vanguard Newspaper of 12thJanuary 2012 in furtherance of a mischievous ploy to sustain the embattled Bursar of University of Benin, Mrs. May Nwonye.

As baseless and misdirected as the piece portrayed itself, the essence of a rejoinder of this nature is to unearth the devious underpinnings therein and present the facts in issue to give the reading public the benefit of drawing their intelligentsia conclusion. Apart from the typographical and grammatical errors that glued the tissues of lies and deceptive comparative analogy that the group advanced; the piece of paper was either aimed at causing disaffection amongst senior management staffs or the authors were brazenly bereft of the true appellations of the officers that they sought to undermine.

For the records-
1. There are four principal officers of any University based on extant rules of appointment or selection designed by the National Assembly; and they are- the Vice Chancellor, the Bursar, the Registrar and the Liberian. The Vice Chancellor is the only officer that is exempted from seeking a 2ndterm in office; the VC and the Registrar are from Edo State; while the other two officers are non-Edo indigenes. Contrary to the disarticulated table that the group presented to advance their mischief of sustaining the Bursar who was judiciously indicted by the 2008 Visitation Panel..

2. The Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academy, is Prof. E.A. ONIBERE from Delta State; and not Prof. F. Orhue as claimed by the group. In fact, there is no one by the name Prof. F. Orhue in the staff diary of University of Benin either serving or retired. This is a deliberate falsehood aimed at casting aspersion on staff of Edo state origin.

3. The worthless piece of paper also claimed that one Mr. Ogbeide is the Director of the University's internal audit. Again, there is no such person as Mr. Ogbeide in the Audit Department of Uniben; there is no office like the Director of Internal Audit of Uniben. This underline the desperation of the Mr. Onokhoraye led cabal to foist confusion in the University community if they are unable to secure the sustenance of their 'darling angel'.

Issues that defines the struggle for the unconditional sack of Mrs. Nwonye

1. Indictment by the Prof. Okebukola led Visitation Panel. The so called women's advocacy group may be bereft of the TRUTH that Mrs. Nwonye is an indicted public officer, who lack the moral standing to stand for any other appointment in Nigeria.

2. Qualification question. It is pertinent to note that the Nwonye has no requisite qualification to be a Bursar as she is yet to be a chartered Accountant. She holds a degree in administration; it will amount to appointing a Mechanical Engineer to run a reputable Hospitable.

3. Internal indictment as a result of salaries racketeering. It is a well known fact that some staff of salaries and wages unit of Bursary depearment were sacked after the University's internal audit detected cases of inflation of staffs salaries in the tune of millions of naira. For the fraud to have taken place under Nwonye's nose is an indisputable indication of gross incompetence or conspiracy to defraud the institution. So to advance the sustenance of such a person for a day after is the worst disservice to humanity.

4. No right thinking and credible Rights or Gender advocacy group will project their sensibilities over and above character and meritocracy in a reputable citadel of learning like University of Benin.

It must be noted that our petition to the Hon. Minister of Education (dated 29th December 2011) was written in the best interest of merit, character and exemplary precedent, because, as staffs (Academic and Non- Academic staffs) of Uniben, we gathered that a cabal led by one Mr. Onokhoraye was mounting devious pressure on the Vice Chancellor and management staffs to sustain Mrs. Nwonye or else they will make the institution ungovernable. The aim of the petition to the Hon. Minister was to restore sanctity to the University's Bursary department and disposes the cabal of its retrogressive arsenals.

We keep watching unfolding events.
Mrs. A. Imarhiabe-Ukachukwu – Publicity Secretary.

4B, Salami Bakare Close, Ekosodin, Benin City.
Email- [email protected]