President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (Unizik) in Awka, Anambra State, following a controversial appointment of an unqualified Vice-Chancellor.
The removal of Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, and Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike, the registrar, was also sanctioned.
The council, led by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, included five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement from presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday said the decision followed reports that the governing council had disregarded due process in appointing the Vice-Chancellor. “The Federal Government intervened to address tensions between the university’s Senate and the governing council, which had caused significant unrest at the institution,” the statement read.
The statement further revealed that President Tinubu had also approved the removal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences in Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was dismissed for illegally suspending the Vice-Chancellor and failing to revoke the action despite calls from the Federal Ministry of Education.
“The government is concerned that some councils have been creating unnecessary distractions and undermining the governance of universities,” Onanuga noted. “The primary role of university councils is to ensure smooth operations in accordance with the law.”
In addition to these removals, President Tinubu also announced the reshuffling of the Pro-Chancellors of two other federal universities. Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN, will now serve as Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), while Engr Kayode Ojo will take over at the Federal University Lokoja (FULokoja).
The reshuffles are part of Tinubu’s broader strategy to promote national cohesion and strengthen governance in Nigerian universities.
