Concerns have been raised at Dennis Osadebay University (DOU) in Asaba regarding the reported appointment of Professor Patricia Mbah as Vice Chancellor.
Senior lecturers and non-teaching staff at the university have urged the Governing Council, led by Chairman Professor Robert Ikomi, to disqualify Professor Mbah, describing her as an ineligible candidate for the position. Sources indicate that the objection stems from the fact that Professor Mbah has not yet completed the required five-year tenure as a Professor.
The official advertisement for the Vice-Chancellor position stipulated that applicants must have held the rank of Professor for at least five years at the time of application, a condition Professor Mbah reportedly does not meet.
Speaking on the developing situation, a senior management official who requested anonymity cautioned the Governing Council to adhere strictly to due process in selecting the Vice Chancellor, emphasizing that the appointment should be based on merit.
The source said, “The condition for applicants to have attained the rank of Professor for not less than five years at the time of application, is a basic requirement for eligibility of candidates.
“It is a known fact that Prof Patricia Mbah has not attained the mandatory five years of professorial residency as enshrined in the advertisement, as she was just appointed as Professor in 2023 at University of Delta, Agbor.”
“We shouldn’t forget that she was demoted from the rank of Professor to Associate Professor in her former university, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) in 2019,” the source added.
The senior management official stated that Prof. Mbah’s demotion, described as part of a proper placement exercise by the university’s governing council, was never reversed.
According to the source, this calls into question her claim of having served as a Professor at MOUAU since 2015, a claim reportedly central to her eligibility for the Vice Chancellor position at DOU.
The official noted that the circumstances of her demotion were widely reported in national newspapers, including ThisDay, Sun, and Daily Trust, as well as online platforms.
According to the official, since there is no record of the demotion being formally reversed, the matter raises concerns about her integrity in relation to aspiring for such a senior executive role.
“She couldn’t have spent five years as a Professor as at today when she was only assessed and appointed as a Professor in University of Delta, Agbor (UNIDEL) in 2023, with her present rank as a Professor on CONUASS 7 step 4,” the source said.
“This further supports the fact that she is just less than three years old as Professor, which incontrovertibly makes her ineligible for the position of Vice Chancellor as contained in the qualification criteria, under Section C, subsection (i) of the DOU published advert for position of Vice Chancellor.”
Another university staff member, speaking on condition of anonymity, criticized what she described as the governing council’s attempt to impose Prof. Mbah on the institution despite clear factors undermining her eligibility for the Vice Chancellor position.
Sources indicate that stakeholders at Dennis Osadebay University (DOU), Asaba, have strongly rejected Prof. Mbah’s candidacy and urged the governing council to disqualify her immediately.
They emphasised that the situation raises serious questions about eligibility and places significant demands on the selection process to uphold integrity, transparency, and fairness.
The Vice Chancellor role, they stressed, requires unquestionable academic credentials, high ethical standards, and full compliance with established eligibility criteria.
“Allowing a candidate who does not meet the clearly advertised requirements to proceed in the selection process undermines due process, institutional credibility, and the principles of fairness and transparency,” the staff member said.
“This is a call for equity, fairness, and adherence to due process and we therefore requested for the immediate disqualification of Professor Patricia Etunu Mbah as an unqualified candidate for the position of Vice Chancellor in Dennis Osadebay University by the governing council.”
“The inclusion of an ineligible candidate in the selection process constitutes a violation of the express provisions of the published advertisement,” the source added.
The university staff member described such as a “breach of due process and principles of administrative fairness, a potential contravention of the University’s enabling laws and guidelines for the position”.
“Where eligibility conditions are clearly stated in an advertisement as it is in this case, the selection committee does not have the authority to waive or ignore such requirements, as that may be perceived as undue favouritism and a deliberate attempt to skew the selection process in favour of a particular candidate,” the source warned.
A member of the governing council, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration over the situation, criticizing any attempt to sideline merit in the selection of a Vice Chancellor at a university like DOU.
“Any deviation from the stated criteria may expose the University to litigation, reputational damage, and internal instability,” the governing council member said.
“The governing council is hereby called upon, in the interest of transparency, institutional integrity and adherence to due process, to ensure the conduct of an immediate verification of Prof. Mbah’s professorial status and service duration.”
The source called for verification of the candidate’s academic status and eligibility, specifically regarding her current rank (CONUASS 7/4) and her appointment as a newly promoted Professor at UNIDEL in 2023.
“Verify the incontrovertible claim of her demotion from the rank of Professor to Associate Professor in 2019 at her former institution (MOUAU), and the circumstances that led to her demotion,” the source said.
“Ensure strict adherence to the advertised criteria and demonstrate compliance with the eligibility criteria. Immediately disqualify the candidate for not meeting the mandatory requirements, and any other candidate found not to meet the mandatory requirements.”
The source emphasised that the selection of a new Vice Chancellor at DOU must adhere strictly to due process to maintain the integrity, transparency, and credibility of the institution.
Procedural lapses or failure to apply eligibility criteria, the source warned, could harm the university’s reputation, create internal dissatisfaction, and expose it to potential legal challenges.
The staff members urged the selection panel, led by the Governing Council chairman, to treat the matter with urgency and ensure all decisions comply fully with the university’s statutes and published guidelines.
At the time of filing this report, Prof. Mbah declined to comment, stating, “I am not interested in what you are saying. Thank you.”
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