There are indications that another crisis may be brewing at the Governing Council meeting of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike ( MOUAU), as the Council’s meeting on Thursday was said to have ended abruptly over a decision to end the tenure of some members.
According to reports the unusual ending of the meeting followed the action of the internal members of the Council who resisted an alleged attempt by the Pro Chancellor and Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Edeh to sack them.
The elected Council members are Prof C O Offor, Prof I Okoro, Prof A Nlewadim, Prof I Obasi, Prof Ononuju, Mrs I O K Onuma and Prof Igbokwe who has retired.
A source told Hanto Daily News that trouble started when Council Chairman allegedly tried to walk out the internal Council members under the guise that their tenure had ended and that they should be replaced with new ones.
The affected members were said to have argued that the council never functioned between July 2023 and September 2024, adding that since the tenureship of elected members is additive and not continuous, their tenure will expire by October 2027.
Despite their protestations, the chairman allegedly directed the Vice Chancellor, Prof Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, to bring up the matter for resolution on the floors of the Senate, Congregation and Convocation.
He further directed that the newly elected MOUAU alumni president should replace the current one in the Council.
According to those affected, the Pro-chancellor was not able to distinguish between Convocation, who are the owners of the one slot in Council, and Alumni Association, who are, important as they are, one of two components of the Convocation.
Reacting, a member of the council who confirmed the development said, “It is very very strange that somebody at the peak of policy making in the University system cannot distinguish between Convocation and their slot in the Council which is filled via election for specified tenure. The convocation is a statutory body made up of Alumni Association and Academic Staff. The two have a slot in the council which is filled via election,” he stated.
He pointed at the 2023 Reviewed Guidelines for the Ministry’s Representative on the Government Councils of Federal Tertiary Institutions:
1.6: Vacation of Seat in council.
a. “Federal Universities
External members of the Governing Council would normally
vacate their scats upon dissolution of the Council or by effluxion of time after the expiration of their four years tenure. However, internal members of Council who are usually appointed by a body to represent it in Council (e.g. Senate, Congregation and
Convocation), have their tenure regulated by virtue of the statute of the University concerned. This is normally a term of two years for such a representative subject to re-appointment for a second and final term of two years.
The institution’s representative on Council, is usually selected through the process of election in the Senate, Congregation or
Convocation. The date of the respective elections by the bodies they represent, is regarded as the official date of their election into Council. Accordingly, where they are yet to complete their tenure
before the dissolution of the Council, they would automatically
become members of the re-constituted Council, pending the
completion of their tenure as prescribed in the University statute.”
The members further noted as follows
- If Council had run uninterrupted, the four years tenure of internal members would have ended September 2026.
- However, the circular from the federal ministry of education clarified the position of the law on tenure of internal members who are normally elected.
- However, in a Council meeting held on Thursday 17th September, the Pro-chancellor unilaterally dissolved the internal members of Council and brought the meeting to a sudden end.
They however alleged that the current development could be traced to their being seen as friends of the immediate past Vice-chancellor,Prof Maduebibisi Iwe, who had frosty relationship with the Pro-chancellor.
On their next line of action, one of those who spoke with Hanto Daily News Prof C. O. Offor disclosed who revealed that the council chairman has directed the Vice Chancellor to bring up the matter before the Senate, Convocation and Congregation said they are considering legal actions if they are not satisfied.
When contacted, the University’s Director of Protocol and Publicity, Sir Anyaso Anyaso could not react to the development.
