The pioneer deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Ebiegberi Alagoa, has revealed that he was denied a first class honours in history at the University of Ibadan in 1959.
Alagoa said this while delivering a brief lecture at the Unique University of Port Harcourt Class 81’ Reunion (UU81)’ hosted by a member of the class and former President Goodluck Jonathan in Yenagoa, on Saturday.
He also spoke while responding to concerns raised by the U81 set of graduates when they visited him at his Nembe country home in the Nembe Local Government Area of the state, on Friday, as part of activities to celebrate their three-day reunion event.
The graduates had suggested that the first academic leaders of the university deliberately withheld the award of first class to any of their star students in all disciplines “to test the market.”
But the former UNIPORT DVC, who retired as emeritus professor of history in 2005, said there was no deliberate decision by the school’s authorities not to award a first class to any deserving U81 graduates, stressing that he was also a victim of the practice at UI.
