The Director, AgriBusiness Incubation Centre, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, (MOUAU), Dr Philips Nto has urgently appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa to prevail on the MOUAU Governing Council to release his promotion to the rank of a Professor with effect from 2021.
Addressing Newsmen in Umuahia on Monday (2/2/26), Dr Nto who is Senior Lecturer in the University alleged that the Governing Council chairman, Comrade Fidelis Edeh has deliberately refused to approve his promotion to the rank of a Professor which has gone through all due processes but has remained on the Council’s table for over one year now without deliberating on it.
“It is with a heart full of sadness and regret that I address the press today over an issue that ordinarily should have been handled internally without finding its way to the public space. The issue is that for very personal and petty reasons, the Chairman of the Governing Council of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike ( MOUAU), Comrade Fidelis Edeh, has blatantly refused to approve the release of my promotion to the rank of a Professor which has been due since 2021.
Dr Nto who had served Abia state as Commissioner for finance and provider Abia State college of Education ,TechnicaI, Arochukwu recalled that he joined the services of MOUAU as Assistant lecturer in 2007, obtained doctorate from the same university in 2009, promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in 2015, and was ordinarily to earn promotion to the rank of a professor in 2021.
While revealing that all his mates and junior colleagues have been promoted to the rank of Professor, he noted that while he was on leave of absence, he still taught students, (both undergraduates and post graduates ) and even supervised those doing their post graduate programmes as well playing a prominent role in securing NUC accreditation for his Department.
The Senior Lecturer who made public that he rejected the offer of being paid while on leave of absence by the University Authorities, wondered why the council has refused to finally approve or cancel his application which has been approved at different levels.
“When I applied for the assessment of my relevant papers for promotion to the rank of professor in line with the 2003 Condition of Service that permitted my leave of absence as well as with the standard academic procedure, I was initially told that I could not be assessed because the period that I was on leave of absence could not be counted for me as having worked following a new conditions of service which just took effect. Basically, I know , such conditions cannot apply retroactively.
“When I referred the management to the Condition of service in operation before I was granted the leave of absence as against the new one quoted by my adversaries in the university, it recapitulated and gave approval for my assessment.
“As an academic institution, there is a rigorous procedure for assessment and promotion of staff to various levels. In fact, there are four clear layers you have to pass through before your matter is presented to the Governing Council. Ordinarily, it is always fait accompli that the Governing Council should just concur. The first stage is at the department level. The second is at the College Level. The third is at the University Appraisal Committee level. The fourth is the University Governing council Committee called Appointment and promotion Committee. My papers went through all these levels with professors ,including a former vice chancellor, approving my papers at every stage. My file finally arrived at the table of the Governing Council,” he disclosed.
The Director ABIC, MOUAU, traced the refusal of the Council to officially deliberate on the matter after sitting for over ten times to issues surrounding the Enugu State 2023 governorship election which saw the incumbent Governor Barrister Peter Mbah emerge and the failure of the Candidate of the University’s Governing Council chairman that had served as a campaign DG.
While revealing that he was approached to appeal to the returning officer of the election, Prof Maduebibisi Iwe ( V.C MOUAU) through someone who felt he had good relationship with the VC to rig the poll in favour of a loser, an effort that he rejected by informing them that the Vice Chancellor is a man of integrity, Dr Nto said he may have no option than legally seeking to protect his career.
“The issue is that after the Council has sat for more than 10 times, the Chairman has willfully obstructed the release of my promotion. It has been one excuse from the other. When he is not talking of a frivolous petition from a faceless group , he is complaining of being TIRED. Sometimes he may change the council to SPECIAL(where only chairman chooses what is to be discussed) as against REGULAR OR EMERGENCY known to university regulation. All these delay tactics were meant to frustrate me for over a year the file is before the council.
“Curiously, he has been approving the professorial promotion of other academics, especially those from Enugu State with the speed of light. I have a comprehensive list of that. But anytime it comes to mine, he will feign one excuse or the other. At the last sitting of the Council, the University’s lawyer had presented legal basis to strengthen my promotion,” he further alleged.
The University Lecturer argued that even if the basis for the delay in approving his promotion is because of a new condition of service on leave of absence, the law cannot be applied retrospectively as his leave was based on the 2003 Condition of service that granted yearly renewal, which he religiously followed.
He noted that if the new condition of service should be used against his promotion, then there was an urgent need to cancel all results and withdraw certificates that emanated from Undergraduates and postgraduates he taught and supervised while on leave.
When contacted for comment, Comrade Edeh stated that he would not publicly react on the matter, describing it as an internal administrative issue.
“I cannot join issues with a staff member over internal administrative matters. There are laid-down processes for addressing such issues,” Comrade pointed out.
