By Dr Dan Oyoboh
I am extremely enamored, tickled and excited to pay this tribute to this great personality of Professor Ben Akpoyomare Emukufia Oghojafor as he takes a bow from the prestigious Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State as the pioneer Vice Chancellor. My tribute is not to canonize or demonize him but to state the facts about what I am convinced, and I know about this great man. Pardon me to crave your indulgence to continue this tribute by mentioning that my first encounter with him in late 2021 was warm and hospitable. It revealed some enduring legacies that have etched his name in gold in my mind for a long time to come. In these few years of my close relationship with him as my Vice Chancellor, I know he enjoys a robust engagement and discussions on issues which span across academics, entrepreneurship, strategic management, leadership, social engagement, international relations and global politics. He also opened his floodgate of wisdom, advice, care and counsel for me to explore. As a person, Prof Oghojafor is friendly, kind-hearted and always ready with a listening ear.
“Ose” as I fondly called him, is one of the most principled persons that I have ever met. He is calm, gentle, forthright and extremely nice with a good sense of humour. Although most persons see him as someone who is harsh and bullish, but I feel when it gets to purity of heart and doctrine, you cannot really fault him. I believe posterity in the fullness of time will vindicate Prof Ben Oghojafor for doing or passing every judgement on critical issues affecting Dennis Osadebay University and humanity. I know him very well as a creature of candour and logic and not emotion, prejudice, pride, vanity and ineptitude. I also know he has impacted and still impacting his world positively with his footprint in the heart of many which is legendary. It is worthy of note that the personality of Prof Oghojafor is head and shoulders above many of his contemporaries in the academic space in terms of intellect, finesse, moral, knowledge, capacity and indefatigability. He carries with him a symbol of social cohesion, creativity and innovation. I see Prof Oghojafor’s role as one of encouraging, stimulating and guiding humanity to the path of greater achievements and distinctions through constructive use of priceless wisdom and diplomacy. Prof Oghojafor in simplicity and humility integrated different spheres of his life (intellectual, moral, spiritual and human). In a word, he is so to speak, a balanced personality. He admires and live simplicity and precision in life, anchored in discipline, embellished with humane and nurtured with respect for people.
For his numerous invaluable and priceless contributions to Dennis Osadebay University as the pioneer Vice Chancellor, these are germane towards the University’s rapid growth as reflected in the introduction from zero to 86 new academic programmes of study, students enrollment growing geometrically from 651 (2021/2022 academic session), 1,589 (2022/2023 academic session), 2994 (2023/2024 academic session), 4,408 (2024/2025 academic session) and 5,835 (2025/2026 academic session) culminating to 15,472 students population at the moment. He expanded the staff job opportunities from zero to 1,418 offers. These are made up various statuses of full employment, sabbatical and contracts. He also invested immensely in staff career growth and development. Prof Ben Oghojafor has through indulgence, hard work, nurturing vision and mission centeredness moved Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State to an enviable height it is today. He has a worthy story to tell of inheriting a near zero facilities to achieving properly fitted physical structures and executing edifices like the Administrative block building, faculty block buildings like Agriculture, Arts, Behavioural Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Management Sciences. Prof Oghojafor also has to his credit a new student hall that can accommodate 2,000 students and the installation of CCTV cameras and the lighting of the entire Dennis Osadebay University campus with solar street lights.
Prof Ben Oghojafor that I know and believes in speaks from an abundance of insight and talent. At this his taking a bow as the pioneer Vice Chancellor, he has with a great sense of satisfaction as depicted in gratification and contentment. He can reminisce in his mind of a long forgotten experience of fact, that he has been able to make some tremendous impact on many lives using his chosen vocation as an academic and a university administrator. He has also made some difference in the lives of the management, staff and students that he pontificated over as the helmsman in particular and generally the larger community of Dennis Osadebay University. These are made up of men and women who draw some level of exhilaration and thrill from his wealth of kindness, knowledge, humility and accomplishment.
I dare write that Prof Oghojafor is a gift to humanity. He is a man who gives his all to his family. He is also a man who also gives his all to his friends, colleagues, community and most importantly, he is a man who gives his all to the service of humanity. To Ose, the human life has meaning only to that degree as long as it is lived in the service of humanity especially the down-trodden, less privilege, weak and vulnerable persons. He is a man who has the ability to manifest forbearance under provocation on strains. Through him, I learnt that to distinguish between facts and fantasies is one of the most vital arts that separates childhood from adulthood. I equally learnt from him the cardinal virtues of prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice. Prof Oghojafor also taught me that when true knowledge is achieved, then the Will become sincere, and when the Will is sincere, then the heart is set right. When the heart is set right, then the personal life is cultivated which will lead to a regulated family life. When the family life is regulated, then the national life is orderly and when the national life is orderly, then there is global peace. He went further to teach me to avoid having my ego so close to my position, so that when my position falls, I can have my ego intact. I see Prof Oghojafor’s role as one of encouraging, stimulating and guiding humanity to the path of greater achievements and distinctions through constructive use of priceless wisdom and diplomacy.
I dare write that Prof Oghojafor is a gift to humanity. He is a man who gives his all to his family. He is also a man who also gives his all to his friends, colleagues, community and most importantly, he is a man who gives his all to the service of humanity. To Ose, the human life has meaning only to that degree as long as it is lived in the service of humanity especially the down-trodden, less privilege, weak and vulnerable persons. He is a man who has the ability to manifest forbearance under provocation on strains. Through him, I learnt that to distinguish between facts and fantasies is one of the most vital arts that separates childhood from adulthood. I equally learnt from him the cardinal virtues of prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice. Prof Oghojafor also taught me that when true knowledge is achieved, then the Will become sincere, and when the Will is sincere, then the heart is set right. When the heart is set right, then the personal life is cultivated which will lead to a regulated family life. When the family life is regulated, then the national life is orderly and when the national life is orderly, then there is global peace.
To my amiable Prof Ben Oghojafor, God in His infinite wisdom did not create loved ones with price tags, because if He had, I could not have afforded one as precious and priceless as you. May the Almighty Lord in His infinite mercies and wisdom grant your heart desires and bless the labour of your hands today and always Sir. I am extremely glad to be associated with this son of the Oghojafor dynasty of the Otorho-Abraka Kingdom of Delta State, a legendary quintessential and veteran professional, technocrat of international repute, a man of strategic management and entrepreneurial acumen, exemplar model, an enigma, a body of knowledge, a gentleman of note, a honest and kind-hearted man, a man of peace and of character, an epitome of humility, someone so easily disturbed by and generous to a fault with his time and resources for others, a great personality and our mentor. Congratulations on the successful completion of your tenure as the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Dennis Osadebay University.
Dan Oyoboh, Ph.D, writes from Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria.
