9th April, 2019
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The management of the Lagos State University, LASU, ha rubbished a report that former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), and a staff of the school, Prof. Peter Okebukola falsified his age and uses multiple dates of birth.
Premium Times had reported that Okebukola used multiple dates of birth to prevent him from retiring at the right time.
But a statement issued by Ademola Adekoya, Coordinator, Centre for Information, Press and Public Relations, LASU said the attention of the Lagos State University Management had been drawn to a publication released by Premium Times on Saturday 6th April, 2019 with respect to a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) and an academic member of staff of the University, Distinguished Professor Peter Okebukola.
“The publication bothers around multiple dates of births and retirement status of the renowned Professor. The Lagos State University Management is without doubt one that abides strictly with the rule of law, statutes and conditions of service guiding operations of the University. In order to clear the ambiguity in the publication referred to above, the University Management is hereby informing the general public that Distinguished Professor Peter Okebunkola is a bonafide academic member of staff of the University.
“Professor Peter Okebukola joined the service of Lagos State University transferring his service from the then Oyo State College of Education, Ilesa and the date of birth on his Record of Service forwarded to the University by his former employer is 17th February, 1951. The University is bound to stand by that date because the Record of Service is the officially recognized record of his past service.
“The affirmation of the Date of Birth of Professor Okebukola in the Record of Service forwarded to the University by the Oyo State College of Education, Ilesa confirmed the assertion by Professor Okebukola that he was born on 17th February, 1951,” it said.
LASU said based on the foregoing and in compliance with the law and subsisting Conditions of Service guiding senior members of staff of the University as at 2015, Okebukola was due for retirement on the 17th February, 2016, being the date he attained the age of 65 years, but added that the Lagos State Government on 5th January, 2016 promulgated a new law extending the retirement age of Professors to 70 years while other academic members of staff who were not of Professorial cadre and Non-Teaching members of staff had their retirement age reviewed upwards to 65 years.
“It is instructive to note that aside Professor Peter Okebukola, five (5) academic and twenty (20) non-teaching members of staff including those on Terminal Leave also benefitted from the provisions of this law.
“Also, we state unequivocally that the Vice-Chancellor has no power to confer on any individual the rank of Distinguished Professor. It was the University Senate in the exercise of its powers as provided in Section 9:2(f) LASU LAW 2004 (As Amended) that recommended to the Governing Council, the conferment of the rank unto Professor Peter Okebukola. The Governing Council also duly approved same.
“Finally, the University Management is using this medium to reaffirm to the general public that it is resolute in continuing to deliver on its core mandates of teaching, research and community service.” the school stated.