President Bola Tinubu has sacked Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, which was recently renamed Yakubu Gowon University.
The President also made changes to the Governing Council of other Universities.
Along with the dismissal, the entire governing council of the university has been dissolved.
Professor Lar Patricia Manko has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor for six months but will not be eligible for the permanent position.
Additionally, Senator Lanre Tejuoso, who is currently the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has been named Pro-Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University.
Senator Joy Emordi will replace Tejuoso at Makurdi and also take on the role of Pro-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku University of Education.
Meanwhile, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), President Tinubu removed Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbu as Acting Vice-Chancellor before the expiration of his term on February 14. Professor Oguejiofu T. Ujam has been appointed the new Acting Vice-Chancellor for six months.
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The university also saw changes in its Pro-Chancellor position, with Gen. Ike Nwachukwu reassigned to the University of Uyo and Engineer Olubunmi Kayode Ojo named Pro-Chancellor of UNN.
These leadership changes are part of the President’s push to improve governance and accountability within Nigeria’s higher education institutions.
Nigerian Anchor reports that the appointment of Prof Maikudi as the substantive VC of the University had generated a lot of resentment from her senior colleagues.
Senior professors of the University alleged that the appointment of Professor Maikudi violated several sections of the university laws, especially regarding her qualification for the job.
It was contested that Maikudi was not qualified for the post of Vice Chancellor at the time of her appointmment having just been appointed professor barely two years ago.
It was also alleged that her doctorate degree was hastily approved without passing through the necessary stages of assessment by her examiners.
A professor who spoke to Nigerian Anchor praised the timely intervention of President Tinubu before the simmering tension generated by Prof Maikudi’s appointment boiled over.
