Arubayi: DELSU Ranking Amongst Universities Dropped After My Tenure

…Describes Outgoing VC As Power Drunk

-I Left Behind Over N3bn For My Successor, Paid All Debts, He Says

-Urges New VC To Follow Due Process, Relate Well With Host Communities…

By Daniel Dafe

A former Vice Chancellor of the Delta State University, Abraka, Professor Eric Arubayi, has decried the ratings of the university on the list of universities in Nigeria after he handed over.

The university don spoke to Oasis Magazine (OM) via a phone conversation recently.

According to him, when he was in office, DELSU was ranked 3rd on the list of state universities and 28th best university in the country, saying that under the Professor Victor Peretomode, DELSU fell to the 15th best state university and 52nd amongst all universities in Nigeria.

Speaking about his achievement as VC, he said: “I left 3.264 billion in the coffers of DELSU and paid all the debts owed contactors and the ones inherited from my predecessor. Most of the infrastructural development in the institution today, I put them in place. Most of the structures in site 3 were built by my administration.

“Peretomode was part of my administration and my deputy. But, when he got in he started running me down. God will forgive him, I meant well for him. He is my boy, but a boy that later became my master. Power got to him and he became power drunk.”

To the new VC, Professor Andy Egwunyenga, he said: “The new administration must implement rules and regulations that are students and staff friendly. He must not be too hard. No one owns the institution. The institution is owned by government and like people say ‘soldier go, soldier come, barrack remains.’ Staff and students will come and go, but the institution will remain.”

He continued: “The ability of a leader to treat everybody equally and not mete out selective treatments matters a lot. The incoming VC should follow rules and regulations and be able to work with the community, the staff and students, the state government, NUC, Tetfund and all that.

“He must be fair to everybody and treat them equally. He should have a good rapport with communities especially those of the three campuses.”

Meanwhile, Prof. Peretomode during a press briefing before handing over denied Arubayi’s claims that he left behind over N3bn in DELSU coffers.

Though, he (Peretomode) refused to call a particular figure he left behind for his successor, said that he too is leaving behind so much money for the new VC.

Arubayi, however has said that: “Documents don’t lie. The outgone VC has been providing false and misleading information that I never handed over N3.264 Billion to him. He is just trying to justify why he is not handling over reasonable purse to the incoming VC. He also claimed that he initiated the building of the ultra modern library. It is on record that the contract for the library was awarded by my administration and the foundation was laid before I completed my tenure. It is another blatant lie.”