There is palpable tension in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State following alleged plot to remove the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu.
Three truckloads of security personnel have reportedly been deployed in the campus to facilitate apparent controversial transition.
The move is reportedly driven by political interests, with a South-East Governor and a former political party publicity secretary allegedly involved the hatched plan.
The governor, according to sources, is seeking to install a new Vice Chancellor who will support his political party in the upcoming Anambra governorship election in 2025. Ikechebelu’s removal is slated for Saturday, July 20, 2024, during the university’s council meeting, paving way for a female professor (name withheld) to take the reins as Acting Vice Chancellor for a six-month period.
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has opposed the move, citing irregularities in the process.
In a letter by the Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chris J Maiyiki, to the Chairman of the UNIZIK Governing Council, Greg Mbadiwe, the Commission stated that the appointment of an Acting Vice Chancellor is a function of the University Senate, and that the Council’s proposition is irregular.
The university community is on edge, awaiting the outcome of Saturday’s council meeting. Staff and students are concerned about the implications of political meddling on academic and administrative stability.
The crisis has raised questions about the role of politics in academic institutions and the future of UNIZIK.
Prominent Anambra politicians and business leaders have vowed to resist external interference in the university’s affairs, citing the institution’s strategic importance to the state.
The situation is being closely watched, with many calling for a resolution that prioritizes the interests of the university and its community.