Not a few Nigerians will find it amusing knowing that a respected professor and administrator who served Nigeria for 37 years as a university lecturer and briefly as Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is wallowing in abject poverty.

The misery of Prof Theo Vincent, a professor of English language, is made worse with his current blind status and lack of cash which has forced the former English lecturer of the University of Lagos to have his abode in a ghetto, notorious for vices, after he was allegedly ejected from his comfortable accommodation for inability to pay his rent. He lives in a dilapidated structure in Illaje, Bariga, Lagos.

How did he get to that miserable point that is not only embarrassing to the academic world but the whole country, considering the fact that the erudite professor was once the chief executive of the same university that produced Nigeria’s former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan?

Prof Vincent is said to be living with his wife and a few belongings including his books. The professor is also said to be arguably one of Nigeria’s finest in poetry tutoring hundreds of students who some are well established in the educational sector today.

Vincent, an indigene of Gokana local government area of Rivers State held sway as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt between 1997 and 2000.

He was drafted from the Department of English, the University of Lagos, by the then Head of State, the late General Sani Abacha to head the institution, after the expiration of the tenure of the then acting vice chancellor, Prof Nimi Dimkpa Briggs.

Visits to the Delta (Choba/Aluu) and Abuja (Alakahia) campuses of the University of Port Harcourt, showed evidences of the legacies left behind by Prof Vincent in all nooks and crannies of the school.

A senior non-academic staff of the university, who spoke with LEADERSHIP Weekend on the condition of anonymity, said over 75 per cent of the development of the Abuja campus was achieved during the tenure of Prof Vincent.

The campus Abuja boasts of the Senate building, the libraries and convocation arena, lecture halls as well as the state-of-the-art mini stadium, where most of the sporting events for the 2004 NUGA Games took place.

The non-academic staff said, Prof Vincent, who retired from the University of Lagos in 2004, was appointed as the vice-chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, at a time the institution was struggling to overcome a severe leadership crisis and other challenges that threatened its existence.

While he was on the driver’s seat in the University, he distinguished himself as a scholar and administrator whose penchant for excellence and abhorrence for indiscipline helped to restore sanity to the institution.

Recently, there were reports in the media that the once celebrated scholar and writer is now facing hard times and abandonment. It was reported that the Ogoni-born professor of English is now living on the ground floor of a dilapidated two-storey residential building in Ilaje quarters in the Bariga area of Lagos.

A lecturer in the university, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the authorities of the institution cannot do anything for Prof Vincent even if they had known about his present predicament considering the fact that he retired as an academic staff of the University of Lagos.

The lecturer said, “I don’t think UniPort would have done anything to help Professor Vincent. Although, he served as the vice chancellor here some years ago, the federal government brought him from the University of Lagos. If you ask me, I think it is the Federal Ministry of Education, and the University of Lagos that should help him out.”

When contacted, the public relations officer of the University of Port Harcourt, Dr Williams Wodi, said Vincent was not a staff of the University and therefore, the institution should not be expected to assist him.

Wodi said, “You called me asking if we have plans to assist Professor Vincent; I have not seen Professor Vincent in recent times. Have you called the University of Lagos? He retired from the University of Lagos; so, you should call them, please.”

After leaving the service of the University of Port Harcourt, reports have it Prof Vincent played a critical role in the founding of Nigeria’s most prestigious literary award, the Nigeria Prize for Literature — sponsored by the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas Company.

His pathetic state has marvelled many in the academic sector who expressed worries that the situation is most embarrassing for the country.

“Something is wrong somewhere. As a former VC and senior lecturer for 37 years, there should something for him as emolument or pension for him – a whole professor and a senior person in that state?” Prof Bassey Ubom, who chaired the Welfare and Commitment Committee of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for 11 years, lamented.

Others were surprised to know when LEADERSHIP Weekend contacted them for reaction. Dr Theophilus Lagi, ASUU chairman, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, expressed shock at the news of the state of the respected academician in dire need of help.

“I am totally surprised at this news but I need to do some findings to ascertain the true position of his state,” he told LEADERSHIP Weekend.

Similarly, some officials at ASUU, Abuja Zone who also claimed ignorance of the condition of their former colleague told LEADERSHIP Weekend that they need time to investigate the matter.

Reacting to the matter, a gerontologist and behaviour specialist, Dr Ottih Nwaka, said Prof Theo Vincent’s situation is the reason why social workers in Nigeria have been advocating for the establishment of the department of social services and a division of home and community services in the country.

He said, it will provide assistance and support to the aged, the blind or the disabled (ABD), children with mental of physical disabilities and highly vulnerable persons in the country.

“In Nebraska where I practiced, assistance to the aged, the blind or the disabled (AABD) was established by the Nebraska Legislature in 1965. The AABD programme was established to provide financial aid and medical assistance to persons in need from 65 years and above, or who are aged 64 or younger and blind or disabled according to social security programme definitions.
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“Prof Vincent is too qualified for any kind of services because to be eligible for a cash payment, an individual or married couple must have monthly income and countable resources less than the programme’s need and payment standards. If determined eligible for a cash payment, the individual is also eligible for medical coverage,” he said.

Nwaka urged the federal government and the academia not to neglect Prof Vincent whose condition is fast gaining attention in the media. He added that social services help to reduce dependency, neglect and abuse. “This is exactly what we are asking our government to do for our people,” he added.

Efforts by LEADERSHIP Weekend to get reaction from the country representative of the International Federation on Ageing Nigerians (IFAN) was not successful as our correspondent was told that he was engaged in a meeting as at press time.

IFAN is said to be a strong advocate for the rights and privileges of older persons in Nigeria.