Prof Ogban’s Conviction: NUC Must Save University System From Further Disrepute — Babalola, SAN

Following the recent conviction of a professor for electoral
fraud, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare
Afe Babalola, SAN has called on the National Universities
Commission (NUC) to step up and save the nation’s education sector
from further disrepute.

Recall that a professor of soil science at the University of
Calabar, Peter Ogban was last week handed three years jail term by
Justice Augustine Odokwo of Akwa Ibom High Court for manipulating
the results of two local government areas – Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo
during the 2019 senatorial elections.

Babalola who was reacting to the conviction which he described
as shameful and embarrassing said NUC should review its law that
would make it impossible for convicted academia to secure job in
any institutions in the country.

The legal luminary spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital
at the weekend during the events marking the third anniversary of
ABUAD’s 400-Bed Multi-System Hospital and the send-forth ceremony
for the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Fola
Esan.

According to him, the conviction of the professor over electoral
fraud was a pointer to the decay in the nation’s education sector,
said the time had come for the stakeholders especially the NUC to
tackle the disturbing situation.

He said gone were the days when teachers, especially university
lecturers and professors were perceived to be above board as well
as an embodiment of honesty, transparency and decency.

Babalola said: “We have just recently read in the media the
shameful story of one Professor Peter Ogban of a university who had
just been convicted for electoral fraud that earned him three years
imprisonment. But where do we go from here?

“Since the beginning of this week, we have been celebrating
three years of excellence in medicine here and also celebrating our
own Professor Esan, the CMD, a man of honour and integrity whose
record in Cambridge Examination in those days is yet to be
beaten.

“He has laid a solid foundation at the Multi-System Hospital and
has set the records as a pioneer. What we expect is that those
coming after him would emulate him and strive to improve on his
records.

“It is outrightly shameful that while we are busy jubilating and
celebrating Professor Esan here, another professor like him is on a
prison vacation for electoral fraud.

“I want to use this medium to call on the National Universities
Commission to review its laws about the bad eggs in the university
system.

“The moment any academic is convicted of any crime while serving
in one university, the NUC should make it impossible for him to be
employed in any other university in the country again. This is one
of the ways to sanitize the Nigerian university system.”

Babalola said he had no regrets establishing the 400-bed
Multi-System Hospital in the institution, which he said was
basically for the benefit of Nigerians and humanity in general.

He noted that many medical breakthroughs had been recorded in
the hospital within a spate of three years, while the hospital had
continually saved many threatened lives and reduced medical tourism
abroad.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Smaranda Olarinde, said
the hospital was currently one of the best around the world and had
assumed the position as a leading centre for heart and vascular
surgery, “while a wide range of cutting-edge Open-Heart surgeries
and Cardiac interventional procedures had taken place.”

Speaking, the outgoing CMD, Professor Esan expressed gratitude
to Babalola for his huge investment in the university and the
hospital, saying the popularity enjoyed by the institutions within
few years were made possible through his untiring efforts and for
providing the enabling environment that made him and others perform
optimally.

Following the recent conviction of a professor for electoral
fraud, founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare
Afe Babalola, SAN has called on the National Universities
Commission (NUC) to step up and save the nation’s education sector
from further disrepute.

Recall that a professor of soil science at the University of
Calabar, Peter Ogban was last week handed three years jail term by
Justice Augustine Odokwo of Akwa Ibom High Court for manipulating
the results of two local government areas – Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo
during the 2019 senatorial elections.

Babalola who was reacting to the conviction which he described
as shameful and embarrassing said NUC should review its law that
would make it impossible for convicted academia to secure job in
any institutions in the country.

The legal luminary spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital
at the weekend during the events marking the third anniversary of
ABUAD’s 400-Bed Multi-System Hospital and the send-forth ceremony
for the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Fola
Esan.

According to him, the conviction of the professor over electoral
fraud was a pointer to the decay in the nation’s education sector,
said the time had come for the stakeholders especially the NUC to
tackle the disturbing situation.

He said gone were the days when teachers, especially university
lecturers and professors were perceived to be above board as well
as an embodiment of honesty, transparency and decency.

Babalola said: “We have just recently read in the media the
shameful story of one Professor Peter Ogban of a university who had
just been convicted for electoral fraud that earned him three years
imprisonment. But where do we go from here?

“Since the beginning of this week, we have been celebrating
three years of excellence in medicine here and also celebrating our
own Professor Esan, the CMD, a man of honour and integrity whose
record in Cambridge Examination in those days is yet to be
beaten.

“He has laid a solid foundation at the Multi-System Hospital and
has set the records as a pioneer. What we expect is that those
coming after him would emulate him and strive to improve on his
records.

“It is outrightly shameful that while we are busy jubilating and
celebrating Professor Esan here, another professor like him is on a
prison vacation for electoral fraud.

“I want to use this medium to call on the National Universities
Commission to review its laws about the bad eggs in the university
system.

“The moment any academic is convicted of any crime while serving
in one university, the NUC should make it impossible for him to be
employed in any other university in the country again. This is one
of the ways to sanitize the Nigerian university system.”

Babalola said he had no regrets establishing the 400-bed
Multi-System Hospital in the institution, which he said was
basically for the benefit of Nigerians and humanity in general.

He noted that many medical breakthroughs had been recorded in
the hospital within a spate of three years, while the hospital had
continually saved many threatened lives and reduced medical tourism
abroad.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Smaranda Olarinde, said
the hospital was currently one of the best around the world and had
assumed the position as a leading centre for heart and vascular
surgery, “while a wide range of cutting-edge Open-Heart surgeries
and Cardiac interventional procedures had taken place.”

Speaking, the outgoing CMD, Professor Esan expressed gratitude
to Babalola for his huge investment in the university and the
hospital, saying the popularity enjoyed by the institutions within
few years were made possible through his untiring efforts and for
providing the enabling environment that made him and others perform
optimally.