Faced with the embargo placed on workers recruitment by the federal government, authorities of the University of Benin, recently resorted to converting qualified non-teaching staff of the institution into academic staff.
Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Lilian Salami, disclosed this on Thursday in Benin City during a press conference to mark her two years in office.
She stated that in order to make up for the shortages of teaching staff in the institution, about 300 non teaching staff were trained and converted into teaching staff.
Prof. Salami said part of the challenges confronting the institution is lack of manpower, noting that the federal government has not lifted the embargo on employment but that the school has been able to train and convert 300 of its non teaching staff to teaching staff to augument for the shortfall.
The VC, who also spoke on the alleged rape case of a female student in the institution, said the case has been reported to the police and that it is left for them to come out with their findings but that the management of the institution was particularly interested about the aspect of forcefully locking up the female student in the office by a male lecturer.
She noted that when the police are done with their findings and the result is out, actions taken against the lecturer would be made public.
Speaking on the gully erosion that is seriously threatening the institution, the vice chancellor said if urgent action is not taken to address it, in the next rainy season, the ravaging gully might swallow some of the institution’s buildings.
She, however disclosed that the state government and World Bank officials have visited the site, even as she stated that plans were on top gear to also bring the issue before the presidency.
Prof. Salami expressed delight that her regime’s assiduous labour to reposition the institution was yielding appreciable dividends, noting that her desire is to make UNIBEN one of the best ivory towers in the world.
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