By ABURE, Pedro Anetor_ Tomorrow, Monday, May 4, 2026, marks not just another administrative transition in Delta State’s academic landscape; it marks the dawn of a new era as ‘Professor Sunny Awhefeada’ formally resumes office as Vice Chancellor of Southern Delta University, Ozoro. In making this appointment, *Governor Sheriff Oborevwori* has once again demonstrated what many have come to describe as the *eye of an eagle-* that rare ability to spot excellence from afar, to identify substance beneath simplicity, and to recognize leadership wrapped in humility. …
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A Valediction Forbidding Farewell
By Sunny Awhefeada I apologize to readers of this column that became irregular in the last couple of weeks. I ascribe it to that popular Nigerian phrase “circumstances beyond my control”. The last four months have been quite tumultuous. I found myself in a whirlpool of events that robbed me of the time and stability to write. My appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the Southern Delta University, Ozoro, Delta State, is no longer news! The weeks and days leading to the interview, combined with my work as Dean of Postgraduate…
Read MoreProf Sunny Awhefeada Appointed Southern Delta University VC
Prof. Sunny Ijirhevwe Awhefeada has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of Southern Delta University (SDU), Ozoro, Delta State. This appointment marks a significant milestone in the history of SDU, as Prof. Awhefeada brings with him a wealth of experience, a vibrant personality, and a proven track record of academic excellence. A distinguished scholar and administrator, Prof. Awhefeada is known for his tireless efforts in promoting education and his unwavering commitment to the advancement of knowledge. With his vast experience in various academic and leadership roles, he is poised to take SDU to new…
Read MoreAnalysis/Opinion: For Biodun Jeyifo, Farewell!
By Sunny Awhefeada Professor Biodun Jeyifo who passed away this week was an intellectual giant of global significant. A thinker and activist, Jeyifo was a beacon to many scholars of his generation and the many others that followed. His calling as a teacher and scholar did not blind him to the suffering of the people for whom he embraced the credo of social justice. It was his unrelenting quest for social justice and demonstration of rare courage that endeared him to fellow academics who entrusted him with the…
Read MoreAs I Take My Turn By Sunny Awhefeada
Come Thursday 15 January 2026, I will take my turn with unmatchable joy and gratitude to God Almighty to mount the platform at the Delta State University, Abraka, to deliver the 117th inaugural lecture and present to the academic community and the public the cumulative of the research endeavor that culminated in my professorship. For eight long years, I was on the podium introducing inaugural lecturers, valedictory lecturers, convocation lecturers and more. Next Thursday, I will be taking my turn after being introduced and called upon to do so.…
Read MoreA Dubious Legacy by Sunny Awhefeada
By Sunny Awhefeada The twin motif of appearance and reality frames a great deal of the experience recounted in literary texts. The concept speaks to the truth that things are not always what they seem to be. From Chaucer to Chinua (Achebe), the world has been fed with verses, yarns and acts that portray the dual nature of man embedded within that which is either altruistic or dubious. Writers have depicted humanity as a canvas which embodies the oppositional strain between villainy and valour, nobility and dubiety, conscience and…
Read MoreThe Last Week of May By Sunny Awhefeada
By Sunny Awhefeada The last week of May carries a lot of significance that is underplayed. The dates 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th each represent a history that has significant impact on our evolution as a nation and people. Unfortunately, our appreciation of history remains weak if not utterly poor. The deliberate attempt by the ruling class to delegitimize history and also subject our memory to erasure has made it inevitable to undermine and overlook events that shaped and continue to shape our existence. This is the reason our…
Read MoreOf Puppets, Puppeteers And Puppeteering By Sunny Awhefeada
By Sunny Awhefeada, Much of what we call politics and governance in Nigeria is actually in the realm of puppetry, a dramatic genre that is beholden to absurdity. The events that recently played out in the Lagos State House of Assembly attest to the reality of politics as puppetry especially in Nigeria’s, presumably, most sophisticated state, Lagos. The sorry state of affairs in Nigeria speaks to the sad reality and the ugly truth that our beloved country is a victim of state capture. The experience and reality of state…
Read MoreAtare Otite, Were You A Brief Candle?
By Sunny Awhefeada The sudden death of Professor Atare Otite on Saturday 2nd August 2024 was shocking to all who knew him. A professor of political science, he was ebullient till the last moment and gave no inkling that he was about to breast the tape of life. He drove himself for a distance of about one hundred kilometers, made some stopovers and those who saw him said that he was his usual energetic self. He spoke with some persons, scheduling appointments for the weekend and cancelling others as he…
Read MoreIs Nigeria Worth Calling A Country?
By Sunny Awhefeada, The harsh and disparaging title of this essay was uttered by a sixteen year-old girl, fresh out of secondary school. It was her response to her mother’s correction on a family whatsapp platform that the name of a country should be spelt with an initial capital letter. After thanking her mother for the correction, the lass fired the salvo, “Is Nigeria worth calling a country?” The worried mother then realized that the daughter’s scripting of Nigeria as “nigeria” was a deliberate act of negation and revolt…
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