Response to the Circulated Write-Up by Mr. Ehidiamen Osegbede Okojie on Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma Council Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih
It is deeply regrettable that a piece by Mr. Ehidiamen Osegbede Okojie, now being circulated by Professor Razaq Momoh, seeks to whitewash the corrupt activities of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU) Council Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih.
What is most appalling is not the weak rhetoric of Mr. Okojie — riddled with fallacies and personal attacks — but the descent of Professor Momoh into ethnic partisanship, in open betrayal of the staff of AAU whom he was elected to represent in council. His conduct is unacademic, ethically indefensible, and legally questionable.
LEGAL VIOLATIONS
Professor Momoh had no business participating in the process of selecting Principal Officers, being already a member of Council. By the doctrine of nemo judex in causa sua (no one should be a judge in his own cause), his involvement created a conflict of interest. Consequently, the entire selection exercise is void ab initio — legally invalid from the outset.
CORRUPTION AND ECONOMIC VIOLENCE
It is on record that Chief Orbih instructed Council members and the University administration to “raise ₦200 million from anywhere” to secure contract patronage. This directive was not only unethical but also amounted to corruption of the highest order.
The outcome is evident: staff, already owed 3 to 15 months of salaries, have now suffered arbitrary deductions as illegal tax from their most recent wages — ranging from ₦50,000 to ₦150,000. This is nothing less than economic violence against workers.
A TRAIL OF BETRAYAL
The Orbih-led Council has no achievement but a catalogue of betrayal and maladministration:
Appointing his cousin as University Bursar without requisite qualifications.
Importing a University Librarian from Ekiti into a State-owned institution, in violation of the AAU edict.
Overseeing the diversion of ₦1.5 billion in staff deductions, dubiously transferred from First Bank to Globus Bank, allegedly linked to former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Using the University as a political platform to promote his party rather than advancing academic excellence.
This is not governance; it is abuse of office and betrayal of public trust.
Mr. Okojie’s write-up reflects projection — attacking critics while concealing the rot of his patrons.
Professor Momoh’s defense of Chief Orbih reveals cognitive dissonance — the internal conflict of an academic abandoning truth and objectivity for ethnic and political expediency.
CALL TO ACTION
Facts remain stubborn:
Chief Dan Orbih’s Council is enmeshed in corruption.
Professor Momoh has betrayed his mandate.
The Principal Officers’ selection process is null and void in law.
Staff have been subjected to reckless financial exploitation.
We therefore call on His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State, to courageously dissolve this Council or, at minimum, remove its Chairman, Chief Dan Orbih.
The University belongs to the people of Edo State — not to political contractors, ethnic apologists, or corrupt opportunists.
Article written by:
Iyonagie Ebhomenya
Atlanta, Georgia.
