No fewer than 28 professors of the famous Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, in Umudike, Abia state, face possible demotion from their post, the institution says.
The move follows a recommendation by the governing council of the institution set up to examine the “challenges influencing quality of academic programmes” in the university.
According to a report submitted by the six-man panel, the institution was found guilty of breaching various guidelines regarding the appointment of professors.
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The panel, headed by S. N. Ibe, examined the process involved in the award of professorship to about 31 lecturers in 2015, according to PUNCH.
The report noted that more than 50 percent of professors in the university lacked the 12 years cognate experience required for such position.
“Whereas the guidelines, even as advertised in a national daily (newspaper) on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, stated that for a candidate to be qualified to be appointed a professor, he must have 12 years cognate experience, majority of those who were so appointed lacked that particular criterion,” it read.
As part of the recommendations, the governing council asked 10 of those appointed to be demoted to the rank of associate professors; nine to senior lecturers; seven to lecturer 1 and two to lecturer II.
However, three others – Mike Ukah, Isiguzo Ahaneku and Patricia Mbana – where the only ones that met the requirements needed to be appointed professors.