Criticisms have continued to mount against the decision of the Chairman, Governing Council of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, ( MOUAU), Comrade Fidelis Edeh to convince the Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa to approve Abuja as the venue of the interview for vice-chancellor candidates instead of Umuahia.
Stakeholders who reacted after the Chairman of the council told Punch Newspapers on Wednesday that the law mandates him to conduct the interview anywhere in the country or even abroad, described the move which will likely gulp more than N50m of the University’s fund as not only unnecessary but a deceit.
Recall, the council Chairman reportedly wrote to the minister on January 24,2026 citing security concerns on campus, for the shift in venue, but told Punch newspapers on Wednesday that the law mandates him to conduct the interview anywhere in the country or even abroad, adding that he would henceforth rotate the sittings of the council among the southeast, irrespective of the heavy cost for the university.
Reacting to the sudden to the disturbing development, a pressure group, Abia Democratic Alliance ( ADA), accused the Council Chairman of deceiving the minister, as there was no security threat whatsoever in Abia state.
In a statement endorsed by the Chairman, Nze Theophilus Nkere, and the Secretary Mazi Kanu Okoroafor ADA made it clear that Abia was safe and that the movement of the interview to Abuja by Edeh could disenfranchise some candidates to the advantage of favoured ones and in the process impoverish the university.
” We take it that the statement by Edeh to Punch that the law empowers him to hold council meetings anywhere is the real reason he wants to go to Abuja for a jamboree and thereafter announce his preferred candidate. The question of security concerns he mentioned to the minister was just a smokescreen ‘” the group submitted in the statement signed
The group disclosed that information available to them indicated that Edeh cited a harmless meeting by Abia staff where they appealed for transparency in the process of selection and appointment of the 7th vice-chancellor as the so called security threat .
While dismissing the issue of cyberbullying as another reason for the Abuja jamboree, the group noted that the Chairman has been to Umudike twice in the past week with nothing happening to him.
” Is he also saying that by running to Abuja, he will be immuned from the fictitious cyberbulling?’ the group queried.
They further pointed out that if the Chairman is allowed to start the rotation of MOUAU Council meetings venue as alleged, the university will go bankrupt while sensitive documents may be missing in transit.
The group argued that moving the interview of vice-chancellor candidates to Abuja, has exposed himself a selfish agenda, warning that the action may be deliberately creating a crisis so as to push for the appointment of an acting vice chancellor whom he can control and manippulate.
ADA wondered why it is taking Edeh a long time to choose a vice-chancellor, something that his predecessors used to conclude by the first week of November of the year of appointment to give room for interface between the outgoing vice-chancellor and the incoming one.
” Now that the minister is aware that he has been deceived, he should do the needful. Now that it has been established that there is no security threat in Abia state, the venue for the interview of vice-chancellor candidates should be reverted to Umuahia”, the group submitted.
