By Onyekachi Agu, Ani Ruth and Ihuoma Emmanuel

In an effort to encourage Professors to deliver their Inaugural Lectures, the management of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has announced an endowment of N1.5 million support to Inaugural Lecturers.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Aloysius Michaels Okolie who dropped the cheering news to the university community on Thursday during the 44^th Inaugural Lecture of the university, said the gesture is aimed at motivating the professors to see the need to present their inaugural lecture.

 Professor Okolie made the disclosure while presenting his welcome addressing during the 44^th Inaugural Lecture delivered by erudite Professor of Communication, Professor Linus Iloegbunam Ogbushi held at the Barr Ndubuisi Mbah Audtitorium. He noted that the gesture comprises N1, 000, 000 donation from the Chairman of the University Governing Council, Chief Chinyeaka Ohaa, and additional N500, 000 from a member of the Council, Engr. Dr. Innocent Akuvue.

“Inaugural lecture announces a professor’s arrival within the academics. You can be promoted as a professor but if you retire without doing inaugural lecture, you will be a retiring salary earning professor. But if you have delivered your inaugural lecture, you will now be classified as a Distinguished Professor of that University. Whatever manifest in a professor not doing inaugural lecture manifests in what the person tells the public. If you don’t have anything to tell the public, please don’t present inaugural lecture.

“We are so glad today that we are already moving so fast. Now that we have 44^th – 45^th and 46^th  – are already waiting for the dates to come. Our prayer is that this year we must move beyond 50. ESUT is over 30 years. By the end of the year, we must hit 50 or beyond.

“As a way of encouraging professors to present inaugural lecture, management has been releasing N850, 000 to the inaugural lecturers to aid the production and process. The Chairman of Council in the last Council meeting affirmed that thenceforth he will be giving N1, 000 000 to each inaugural lecturer. As a mark of support to the Chairman, Sir Engr. I.I. Akuve added N500, 000. That means N1.5 million. So going forward, every inaugural lecturer, including the last one and today’s, will receive N1.5 million from the fund. Even if you don’t want to present your inaugural lecture, let this fund attract you to make your presentation,” the VC said.

Highlights of the inaugural lecture were presentation of certificate, award and 50 copies of the Lecture to the Inaugural lecturer, Professor Linus Ogbuoshi, as well as public presentation of a book written by the Lecturer.