In a compelling tale of grit, determination, and apparent institutional neglect, Dr. Enyi Paul Onyebuchi, a native of Ikelegu in the Ndiabor community of Ebonyi Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, has emerged as the first PhD holder in his village—while still working as a cleaner at Ebonyi State University (EBSU).
Enyi’s journey to academic excellence is both inspiring and heartbreaking. He joined EBSU in 2007 as a cleaner with only an O’level qualification. Determined to change the narrative of his life and uplift the image of his community, he embarked on a challenging academic journey. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 2013, completed his Master’s degree in 2017, and in 2022, obtained a PhD in Mathematics.
Despite these remarkable achievements, Dr. Enyi remains in the same position he held nearly two decades ago, earning the same modest salary that initially stood at N32,000 per month. His continued employment as a non-academic staff member at the institution has stirred public outcry, with many questioning why someone with his qualifications has not been given a more befitting role.
In an interview with Saturday Sun, Dr. Enyi detailed the uphill battle he faced, especially the financial strain of funding his education on such a meagre income. “There were so many obstacles I passed through before getting to this my present academic position. One of them is financial challenges. Looking at the meagre salary I was receiving and the huge amount of money I was paying as school fees,” he said.
Acknowledging the support of friends, family, and the university, which granted him a 25% waiver on his tuition fees, he shared how he managed to pay the remaining balance with help from loved ones and through his personal efforts. “I was not paying the full school fees; they gave a 25 per cent waiver. Other ones, I managed and paid through my friends and brothers, because I couldn’t pay the fees from my salary,” he recounted.
Enyi revealed that his academic pursuit wasn’t necessarily driven by the ambition to become a lecturer but by a strong desire to achieve something significant and set an example in his community. “Today, I am the first PhD holder in my village. So, these are the things that made me to go into the programmes so that I could change the narratives. I was not doing the programmes to be a lecturer or anything. I wanted to get a better job and set the pace in my community and my village,” he added.
Married and a father of two, Dr. Enyi did not rely solely on his salary. He engaged in farming to make ends meet. “I didn’t depend on my N32,000 salary when I was doing my programmes. I am a farmer; I was doing so many things. I farm with my hands and I employ people to farm for me,” he said.
According to him, proceeds from his farm have been a vital source of income. “If I should sell the cassava I cultivated last year, I will not sell it for less than N1.5 million. Then I am into piggery. I have many goats. So, these are the things that I do that helped me to do what I did.”
His continued status as a cleaner, despite holding the highest academic degree, has drawn condemnation from colleagues and well-wishers. One of such voices is Godffery Chikwere, a public commentator who lamented the situation: “This guy’s case should be an embarrassment to any Izzi man he has ever approached for assistance but they turned him down. His case should be a shame to EBSU as a whole.”
Chikwere added, “This is Dr. Enyi Onyebuchi Paul. He’s from Ikelegu Ishieke in Ndiabor community of Ebonyi Local Government Area. Having got a job as a cleaner and messenger at the Ebonyi State University in 2007, he struggled to see himself through university education in the same school to the level of PhD in 2022. Since then, they have refused to convert him to an academic staff.”
He decried the alleged marginalization and favouritism in recruitment within the institution, noting that under the immediate past administration, six external candidates were employed in the department where Enyi is qualified to teach, yet he was bypassed. “Reason is, he knows no one at the top,” he alleged.
Another member of the academic community, Emmanuel Onwe, described the development as “bizarre and ridiculous.” He questioned how someone employed in 2007 could remain a cleaner in 2025 despite acquiring additional qualifications. “Apart from the additional qualifications he acquired in the course of the 18 years, what happened to the normal progression in service?”
He further noted that although he had heard that Enyi’s case might finally be receiving some attention, he found it important to investigate further. “I need to make sense out of this puzzle. Something is not adding up,” Onwe concluded.
When contacted for comments, the Public Relations Officer of EBSU, Patrick Itumo, expressed surprise at the revelations, stating that the university had only recently concluded a staff conversion process for qualified individuals. He noted that he was unaware if Enyi had applied or why he might not have passed the relevant exams. “Let him write a letter to the Vice Chancellor or Registrar indicating all these things and also come to our office so that we’ll know what happened,” Itumo advised.
For now, Dr. Enyi Paul Onyebuchi remains a symbol of resilience, determination, and the glaring gap between merit and opportunity. His story is a wake-up call not just for Ebonyi State University but for the broader Nigerian system that too often overlooks true talent in favour of connections and status.
