In a dramatic turn of events, the federal government has reinstated Professor Joseph Ikechebelu as the acting Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka. This decision follows the nullification of Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh’s appointment as the university’s substantive vice-chancellor.
According to a letter issued on Thursday by Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of education, the decision was approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ¹. Professor Ikechebelu has been instructed to take charge of the university’s administration and refer any matters requiring council approval to the minister of education until a new governing council is constituted.
This development comes after President Tinubu dissolved the university’s governing council over allegations of illegal appointments, including Professor Odoh’s controversial appointment as vice-chancellor ¹. The council’s actions were deemed to have bypassed established guidelines, prompting government intervention.
In a related move, the federal government also reinstated Victor Modebelu as the university’s acting registrar, following the termination of Rosemary Nwokike’s appointment ¹
Professor Ikechebelu’s initial tenure as acting vice-chancellor was cut short in July when the university’s 10th governing council replaced him with Professor Odoh. However, with the federal government’s intervention, Ikechebelu has been reinstated to his former position.