By By Goodluck Nwabor
Emeritus Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Benin(UNIBEN), Prof.Patrick Edobor Igbinovia has decried the imbalance in the conferment of Emeritus Professorship in the country, stressing that the number of women who have been conferred the honour remains low,while it is also rare among private universities.
He delivered the first Emeriti Professorship public lecture in Akin Deko auditorium at UNIBEN.
He spoke on: “Academicism, Intellectualism and Perspicacity: An exploratory and Disquisitionary Discourse on Emeriti Professorship in the Nigerian Context.”
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He said that Emeritus Professorship is being awarded based on demonstrated and recognised scholarship, administrative acumen and unimpeachable moral character during a meritorious academic tenure. According to him, elevation to the rank represents the pinnacle of an individual’s intellectual power, scholarly prowess, scholasticism and profound eruditeness in academia.
The don said: “Nigerian women are rarely given the honour, for example, since the establishment of the University of Port Harcourt in 1975, it has produced only one Emeritus Professor, Emeritus Professor Bone Willie Abbey of the Department of Biochemistry; University of Lagos in its 63 years has only two Yetunde Mercy Olumide and Modupe Ogunlesi; while University of Benin founded in 1970 does not have a single one.”
Igbinovia charged universities to unite their Emeritus Professors and assign them part-time roles which will help to form think-tanks for the institutions in their retirement days.
He equally warned that the title should continue to be reserved or given to individuals on the basis of proven or demonstrated merit, unblemished character and morality, integrity, intellectual capacity, academic accomplishments, administrative acumen and capability, scholarly qualifications and potential for continuous and future public utility, not to be politicised as a parting gift for outgoing Vice Chancellors, political upstarts or individuals who are mentally incapacitated in their fields.