Outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the University Benin, Prof. Lillian Salami, has said a cabal within the institution sponsored protest in the twilight of her administration to discredit her tenure.
Prof. Salami disclosed this in a book titled “So Much To Say,”, memoir written to chronicle her five years tenure as the 10th Vice Chancellor of the university.
According to her, the cabal cashed in on the electricity problem on the campuses due to the disconnection from the national grid by the the Benin DISCO over contentious electricity bill and mobilised students against her.
“Just as I thought that my exit would not marred in any form of disruption or experienced in the closing days of my Vice Chancellor’s term, there came the problem of electricity from N69 to N225 per kilowatt, resulting in astronomical bill increase from N80 million to N288 million,” she said.
She said to stop any unrest, the management met with the student body and resolved that there would three hours of electricity in the night and one hour in the morning to ensure adequate supply of water since they were on generator.
“despite that and the students union on suspension, we received a letter purportedly signed by the students representative demanding the restoration of electricity or embarked on protests.
“It did appear that the opportunist were busy busing searching for avenue to discredit all that I have worked hard and stood for and they were cashing in on the window of electricity saga.
“So, I wondered if corporate body could have paid proxies to destabilize the system, could it be that the illegal sharing of monies, which I didn’t have, was the problem or the cabal’s leadership who felt they have been disgraced out of office that was masterminding of a pound of flesh,” she queried.
Prof. Salmi in her book noted that lots of intrigues played after she was appointed as the 10th Vice Chancellor which she said forced her not to relocate to official residence of the Vice Chancellor.
“After assuming office, rumour were flying around how meetings were being held on ways to remove me from office with no stone left unturned both physically and spiritually. And there were stories that would not be in the interest of readers,” she said.
The vice-chancellor said the development informed her desire to remain in her old residence even as Vice Chancellor, as “she dare not moved to residence designated for VC”.
“A lot of persons warned against my movement to befitting VC’s lodge while other feared for my safety, advising that I should remain in my old residence where I had develop close ties with my neighbours.”
Prof Salami noted, however, that despite the challenges on her way coupled with paucity fund among others, she was able to leave an indelible mark in the University of Benin as the 10th and second woman Vice Chancellor of the institution.
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