By Gift Obiajuru Ukadikebuazua

The management of the University of Benin had earlier on Thursday, July 20, 2023, sent a letter of invitation to a fresh graduate of the university, Obinna Joshua Ezechukwu, to appear before a panel of inquiry set up by the management on Monday, 24th July 2023, at 10 a.m.

A part of the letter obtained by the ACJ UNIBEN with the title “Letter of Invitation,” according to the letter signed by the secretary of the panel, stated, “You are invited to appear before the Panel of Inquiry set up by the Vice-Chancellor in relation to the case you have with the School Authority.” The letter did not in any way point out the exact reason for the graduate’s invitation to the panel.

Obinna Joshua Ezechukwu appeared before the Panel of Inquiry on Monday, July 24, 2023, though the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the university had called him not to appear before the Panel for security reasons, but it was said that Obinna could not have accepted the CSO’s recommendation without an official letter of cancellation from the panel of inquiry. The panel later had its sitting and invited Obinna in for questioning. Obinna Joshua Ezechukwu, not knowing the reasons for his invitation, inquired to know why he was invited to appear before the Panel. However, it was agreed that within 48 hours from yesterday, Monday, July 24, 2023, he will get a response to know why the panel was set up.

Recall that weeks ago, the students of the University of Benin had planned a protest in solidarity for the fresh graduate of the University of Benin, Obinna Joshua Ezechukwu, a graduate of the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, whose name was said to have been omitted from the University’s senate graduation/NYSC mobilization list for the graduating set of the 2020/2021 academic session. The omission is suspected to be as a result of Obinna’s article requesting the university’s management account for the use of the N19.53 billion naira allocated to the institution in 2023 as federal allocation for capital and recurrent expenditure.

Earlier, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof. Clement Ighodaro, assured that Obinna Ezechukwu’s name will be on Batch B stream 2 since his name was not included in Batch B stream 1. While the students were anticipating the promise fulfilled, a letter of invitation was rendered to Obinna Joshua Ezechukwu to appear before a panel for reasons yet unknown.

As of the time of filing this report, the reason for Obinna Joshua Ezechukwu’s invitation to appear before the Panel is yet unknown. Although Obinna awaits, within the next 48 hours from yesterday, a response from the panel stating why he was requested to appear before it. More reports to come in later.

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