Promotion of 70 professors, others not parting gift – Outgoing EKSU VC

The Ekiti State University Ado Ekiti (EKSU) outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Edward Olanipekun, on Tuesday, defended the recent promotion of 70 academic staff to professors and 60 others to associate professors, saying that the concerned staff earned their promotion and it was not a parting gift.

Olanipekun also said that the state government owes the university four months’ subventions amounting to over N1 billion, saying that if the money had been paid, EKSU would not owe any staff salary.

The Vice Chancellor, who stated this on Tuesday at an interactive session with journalists at the university campus in Ado Ekiti, said that the era of amputated salaries is gone in the university, and workers are now being paid full salaries.

“As to whether the harvest of promotion of 70 staff to professors, 60 readers including a deputy librarian, and also the elevation of some non-teaching staff, including my head of the Directorate of Public Affairs to deputy registrar, was a parting gift, it was not a parting gift. They all earned the elevation.

“For the professors, their promotion is consequent on receiving two positive reports from external assessors. That is why their promotions won’t come at once. The large number includes not only those due for promotion for that particular year but also pending cases.

“So, we had promotions from two annual review years and some outstanding cases. It wasn’t a parting gift because we have statutory periods that the Appointment and Promotion Committee meets. So, I congratulate all of them.

“Even as I speak, we have some reports that are also ready, but I have decided that I will allow the incoming Vice Chancellor to process and handle that. I hope that by the time he is holding the first Senate and Promotion meeting, he will announce the promotions of some professors.”

Speaking on the amputated salary, which was the term used by the academic staff to describe part payment of salaries, the outgoing VC said: “There is nothing like that again. My comrades are here. I can see some chairmen of some unions here. If I am telling lies, they will raise their voice against my submission. The term amputated salary has gone forever and will not come back to EKSU by the grace of God.

“I didn’t even know how many salaries I paid last year. It was my comrades who told me that I am the first VC who has paid the highest number of salaries in a year, and I said how? They began to count it, and they said we paid a full salary for 16 months. I couldn’t believe it.

“Now we have paid salaries up to June, but we have not been able to pay for July because we are still owed four months’ subventions, which include August 2018, September 2018, December 2023, and January 2024, and that is well over N1 billion. If we had that, we should be able to pay for two. I hope my successor and incoming VC will be able to do that.”