Participants at the annual workshop for members of Association of Financial Analysts of Nigeria (AFAN) in Dutse recently

More controversy is trailing the kidnap and eventual release of the Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni near Port Harcourt, Professor Rosemund Green-Osahogulu.
A Port Harcourt-based local tabloid in its July 20-28 edition had quoted Professor Joshua Dele Osahogulu as saying that the kidnap was not only faked, but intended to defraud the University.
But hours later, the management of the Institution convened a meeting which queried Professor J. Osahogulu over the reported comments, which the professor denied.
A press release signed by the Head of Public Relations Unit of the university, Ngozi Okiridu further said, that the estranged professor did not only deny the statements credited to him in the newspaper, but also said he had never granted any press interview.
The release also stated that sequel to Professor Osahogulu’s reply, management invited him to a meeting in which he admitted the contents of the said publication, but attributed it to his state of mind at the time.
Consequently, “management found the conduct of Professor Osahogulu scandalous, disgraceful and prejudicial to the integrity of the office of the Vice Chancellor and the reputation of the university”.
Following this development, The Tide learnt that Professor Osahogulu has been placed on three months suspension, while investigation into other issues raised in the publication is on-going.
This perceived hastiness in suspending Professor Osahogulu has since raised more dust as the institution’s branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) picked hole in it.
In an exclusive interview, Chairman of ASUU in the university, Dr. Ugochukwu K. Agi, unequivocally stated that his response was based only on enquires made by journalists regarding the said publication, but adding that the action taken by the management was too hasty because due process was not followed.
“The news has already filtered out (through the publication), so, our reaction to that is that, we are not against the University authority taking disciplinary action against airing staff because there has to be sanity in the system.
“But we thought that between when the report came out and when the man (Prof. Osahogulu) was invited to defend himself in a meeting, the time was too short, and he was not thoroughly investigated. So, we feel that the suspension was too hasty,” he said.
Agi also pointed out that other names were mentioned in the said publication but that these names are included in the action taken by the management.
“The position of the ASUU, therefore, is for the management to reverse its decision on the suspension and follow due process to investigate everybody mentioned in the report before taking any disciplinary action on whoever is found wanting”, he said.
“That way, justice would have been done not only for now but for posterity and sanity in this our university would have been restored”, Agi said.
When contacted via telephone, a seemingly beleaguered Professor Osahogulu lamented his innocence and incapacitation over making an official statement with the approval from the university authority.
He, however, stated that the he has prepared a rejoinder but was waiting for approval by the University’s authority.
Without due clearance with the university’s management board, I cannot seek redress in a court of law. I cannot face the press, and I cannot even freely talk about this case to my colleagues on campus”, Osahogulu said.

Sogbeba Dokubo