Inaugural lecture not a criterion for professorship – Lokoja varsity VC

Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja, Prof. Olayemi Akinwunmi, has dismissed a media report that he made delivery of inaugural lectures a criterion for lecturers’ promotion to the professorial rank.

The spokesman of the university, Emmanuel Bello, in a statement, described the report as “malicious, illogical and pedestrian”

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He said the VC’s remark at the recent third inaugural lecture was to demonstrate the intellectual value of inaugural lectures as a time-honoured academic tradition which the university wanted to institutionalize as a regular event.

He clarified the VC urged every professor to take up the challenge of presenting their inaugural lectures which would subsequently be a criterion for appointments into offices in the university.

“For the sake of reference, the video (with the accompanying audio) of the Vice Chancellor’s remark was streamed live via zoom and the Facebook page of the university and is still available on the Facebook page and the university website as transparently uploaded, unedited.

“There are certain offices that only professors could occupy and the VC made the remark during his presentation to stress on the condition for appointments into those offices, stating that the VC’s intention was to use the appointments to encourage professors in the university to fulfill the cherished academic tradition.

“It’s important to note that the attainment of professorial rank, either by appointment or promotion, is subject to both internal and external assessment and that presentation of inaugural lecture has never been a condition.”

“It’s only academics who have attained the full rank of professor that are qualified to deliver inaugural lectures. Thus, it’s illogical and unthinkable to consider the delivery of inaugural lectures a criterion for attainment of professional rank,” he stated.