Senator Adams Oshiomhole has taken a swipe at Prof. Lisa Tobira of Rivers State for insisting that the title “Professor” be placed before his name during a Senate screening. The heated exchange occurred during the screening of nominees for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), where Oshiomhole questioned the insistence on academic titles in a process meant to assess competence and integrity.
In a video posted on YouTube, Oshiomhole emphasised the need for humility and ethical conduct, especially from those within academia. He argued that the true worth of a professor lies not in the title but in the character they uphold, particularly when mentoring students expected to be sound in both character and learning.
According to him, “The issue raised by my distinguished brother is simply that, if there’s a place where we need men and women of character, it’s in the university system, where you’re supposed to produce students who are found wanting in character and learning, and they can only be found wanting in character if professors of character are part of those who are involved in the process of impacting knowledge. I just don’t want you to get away with the assumption because I noticed you insisted that they didn’t put ‘professor’ before your name, and I told my colleague here that ‘professor’ is not a name. Indeed, in some jurisdictions where ethics are strong, once you stop teaching, you no longer have to brag about your professor around.”
