Professor Joseph Ikechebelu has been reinstated as the Acting Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Ikechebelu had held the position on acting capacities before the university got enmeshed in its current crisis following the election of Prof Bernard Odoh as the VC.
Ikechebelu’s appointment followed the sack of Prof Odoh as the seventh VC of the university by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Prof Odoh, Thursday, told the federal government to refrain from stoking unnecessary tension within the university.
Odoh also warned the education ministry to avoid overriding the powers of the courts, which are currently handling multiple lawsuits on the matter.
Odoh, through his Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, Charles Otu, described the letter announcing his dismissal and the dissolution of the university’s governing council as “mischievous”, “strange,” and a “grievous attempt to set the institution on fire”.
According to him, the composition of the university’s governing council and his appointment as the seventh substantive VC followed all the die processes.
The letter was contemptuous, given that the matter is subjudice, he said, adding that the Ministry of Education is a party in Suit No: NICN/ABJ/383/2024 and Suit No: NICN/ABJ/372/2024, where the legality of his appointment is being contested in the National Industrial Court.
According to him, “The Ministry of Education, as a defendant in these suits, has not filed a counterclaim. This is unprecedented.
“Has there been any crisis, or even a breakdown of law and order in the institution since the inauguration of the seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor?
“The answer is no. The Awka campus, along with its sister campuses, has remained peaceful, and I have been able to carry out my duties effectively.”
He alleged that the ministry might be acting under the influence of certain “fifth columnists” seeking to instigate conflict with their “dictatorial” actions.
He complained that in less than three weeks, the Ministry of Education had violated the provisions of the University Act by announcing, once again, his purported removal from office.
According to Odoh, the ministry has no authority to make such an announcement, particularly with the matter still under judicial review.
Odoh also faulted his purported removal on the basis that the order was yet to be formally communicated to the Chairman of the Governing Council, who had been officially appointed by the letter.
He continued, “The letter was not signed by the President or the Secretary to the Government of the Federation—who had issued the council members’ appointment letters—but by a Public Relations Director, raising doubts about the authenticity and intentions behind the communication.”
Odoh called on all the parties to allow the court to resolve the matter expeditiously in line with the relevant laws.
He further appealed to the general public, particularly members of the university community, to continue their lawful activities and to maintain peace and order in the area.
The federal government had Wednesday announced the dissolution of UNIZIk Governing Council, which elected Odoh as the seventh VC of the university.