By Joachim Maduka
The winds of controversy are once again blowing through the corridors of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, as fresh concerns mount over the integrity of the soon-to-commence processes to appoint a substantive Vice Chancellor. Stakeholders within and beyond the university community are sounding the alarm, warning that unless urgent steps are taken to uphold transparency and due process, the institution may once again be plunged into crisis.
The memory of the recent scandal that led to the sack of the Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council and other council members is still fresh. That episode not only embarrassed the institution but also drew the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who nullified the illegitimate appointment of Prof. Bernard Odoh as Vice Chancellor. Investigations later revealed that the appointment process was marred by procedural irregularities and fraudulent documentation, including a professorship claim that was disowned by the Federal University Gusau, where Odoh claimed affiliation.
That painful chapter should have served as a wake-up call and indeed a lesson on the dangers of politicizing university leadership, undermining merit, and allowing personal or external interests to hijack a process that should strictly be academic, moral and transparent.
Unfortunately, recent developments suggest that the university may once again be drifting towards a familiar precipice.
There are growing fears that similar issues are resurfacing, with credible reports citing secret meetings, deals, and informal agreements allegedly aimed at skewing the selection process in favor of certain individuals, and not in the general good of the university. Of particular concern is alleged nocturnal meetings by the leadership of the university and some external politically influential interests to install a lackey in the selection of the substantive Vice Chancellor. This has triggered serious concerns and cast doubts over the neutrality and integrity of the leadership.
Worryingly, some internal members of the Governing Council have been appointed to head sensitive and strategic offices within the university, such as: Director, UNIZIK Business School; Director, International Collaboration and Linkages; Director, Pre-Degree Program.
Credible reports suggest these appointments were made in a deliberate move to “settle” and align these council members towards supporting a particular candidate in the forthcoming VC selection process. It appears a strategy is in motion to consolidate control and influence decision-making, not through open discourse, but by dangling appointments as carrots. Next on the agenda, insiders warn, is a targeted removal and replacement of Heads of Departments to further firm up control, a development that portends deeper politicization of the academic space.
At a recent Congress of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNIZIK Chapter, the Union condemned this growing trend, warning that such arbitrary removal and replacement of substantive Directors, Coordinators in the Institution, and other appointed officers before the expiration of their tenures is dangerous. According to ASUU, such actions do not augur well for the growth of the university system, but rather stifle institutional growth and dampen staff morale.
The Union’s concerns are echoed by staff and students alike, who are asking tough questions: Why are members of the Council being appointed to head these “juicy” offices? Are they being goaded to play according to the dictates of the one that pays the piper?
This worrisome development has created quite some avoidable tension in the university. Instead of stabilizing the institution, these machinations appear to be deepening mistrust, sowing discord and lack of productivity. The environment has become even more strained with incessant power outages, leaving staff to clock in daily but unable to work for hours due to lack of electricity.
It is important that the leadership of the university concentrates on moving the institution forward, rather than focusing solely on the politics of skewing the selection process of the substantive Vice Chancellor towards a predetermined outcome.
Yours sincerely is afraid that should those at the helm of affairs in the university, who have already shown obvious signs of partisanship fail to retrace their steps and put the interest of the university ahead of any other consideration, they may plunge the university into a worse crisis than we witnessed in recently.
This is even more concerning as there are rumours of plans to disqualify some candidates on trumped-up allegations to make way for a preferred choice. Such manipulation, if allowed, would render the entire process a sham and destabilize the university.
My advice is simple but urgent. Allow a level playing ground for every aspirant, and let the system, through a credible and transparent process, seamlessly throw up a Vice Chancellor who commands respect, credibility, and competence.
There are also whispers that a Southeast Governor, as was the case in the last episode, may again have hijacked the leadership and is now calling the shots. The similarities are disturbing and therefore cannot be overlooked. Both the appointment of Dr. Bernard Odoh by Amb. Greg Mbadiwe and the appointment of the current Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, by Barr. Olugbenga Kukoyi (the current Pro Chancellor and Governing Council Chairman), share troubling patterns. In both cases, appointment letters were not issued at the Council Chambers of the University, and standard procedures were bypassed, suggesting the outcomes were predetermined.
If these allegations hold any truth, then the Visitor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, must urgently beam his searchlight on the leadership of the institution to forestall imminent chaos.
This is why the spotlight now shines even more intensely on the Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council, Barr. Olugbenga Kukoyi, the members of Council, and the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi. The leadership must recognize the burden of history that rests on its shoulders. They must rise above favoritism, resist undue influence, and ensure every stage of this process reflects the values of transparency, fairness, and academic excellence. The Federal Government, university community, Nigerians, and the international academic audience are all watching.
It is also imperative that the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) take a proactive stance and monitor the selection process with vigilance and neutrality.
The Federal Government’s acclaimed resolve in championing educational reform and institutional integrity is at stake. A repeat of the Mbadiwe Council debacle would not only tarnish the image of UNIZIK, but could also set a dangerous precedent for other federal universities.
Commendably, President Tinubu has already demonstrated political will through sweeping changes in the composition of Governing Councils across the country. These decisive actions have been widely applauded as steps toward entrenching transparency, professionalism, and merit in university governance.
It is now left for Council members, university administrators, academics, and other stakeholders to align with this vision. To allow mundane interests, ethnic alliances, or personal ambitions to derail this reform effort would be a monumental betrayal, not just of the President’s intentions, but of the future of Nigerian higher education.
The appointment of a Vice Chancellor is not just an administrative formality. It is a moral and academic statement, a declaration of the institution’s values and trajectory.
A stitch in time saves nine. The time to act is now. Let those charged with this responsibility rise above narrow interests and protect the future of Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Anything less will be a grave disservice to education, justice, and the legacy of the great Zik of Africa.
Joachim Maduka Ph.D, a Research Fellow at Julian Sidds Institute, writes from Abuja
