A former academic staff of the Federal University, Otueke in Bayelsa state, Professor Leonard Karshima Shilgba has demanded a public apology from the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Seth Accra-Jaja, over a recent
publication announcing his demotion from the rank of professor to senior lecturer.
Shilga, currently with the Admiralty University in Delta State, made the demand in a letter dated December 20, 2018 with Ref: SHILNKA/FUO/VC/RS3. The letter, obtained by NATIONAL ACCORD, is titled:” Warning and Request for Rejoinder on Purported Demotion. It reads: “You may wish to refer to my letter of resignation from your University— Federal University Otuoke— referenced SHILNKA/FUO/VC/RS2, and dated September, 25, 2018, and effective from October, 24, 2018. “ It was therefore an embarrassment to my family, friends, students, and colleagues both in Nigeria and abroad to read in the newspapers from December 18, 2018, about my purported “demotion” from a position I was not occupying at your University by that time, being now a professor at another university. It was obviously a calculated attempt at mischief.
“ By this letter, I demand that your University publish within seven (7) days, counting from today, December 20, 2018, a rejoinder to the said publication(s) stating in unambiguous terms that I am not a staff of Federal University Otuoke; and that a public apology be rendered to my person for the emotional stress and injury caused me, and for the social and intellectual harm and embarrassment that the publication inflicted and was obviously intended to inflict on me. I would like to advise that failure to do this would leave me with no other choice than to initiate legal proceedings against your University.”
The letter was copied to the Chairman, Governing Council Members, Governing Council Registrar, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dean, Faculty of Science and, Head, Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Prof Shilgba, who was appointed Chairman, Governing Board of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB) by President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2017, joined the FUO from the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola. An online publication (not NATIONAL ACCORD), reported during the week that seven professors at the Federal University Otuoke, Ogbia, Bayelsa State, have been demoted from the title to the lecturer grade level by the institution. Quoting “a source at the media department of institution, who offered no further clarification,” the publication said the Governing Council of FUO made the decision on Tuesday at its 10th meeting
According to the publication, “among those stripped of their professorship are Leonard Shilgba of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
Comments
Post a Comment