Prof Aisha Maikudi, Appointed Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja

The Governing Council of the University of Abuja, today confirmed the appointment of Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi as the 7th Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja. A statement made available to Nigerian Anchor indicates that the appointment was announced during the 77th Extraordinary Meeting of the Governing Council presided by Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd), today, Tuesday, 31st December 2024. The appointment takes effect from 1st January 2025, and it is for a non renewable tenure of five years.Professor Maikudi emerged successful from the shortlist of 10 candidates who were interviewed by the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board of the University, in line with the extant regulations governing the process. ALSO READ: Tinubu Hails NNPCL as Warri Refinery Begins Operations Prior to this appointment, Prof Maikudi had functioned as acting Vice Chancellor since last July 5th, during this period, she worked closely with the Governing Council to stabilise the University through a challenging crisis, demonstrating exceptional leadership and commitment. Profile of the Vice Chancellor Born 31st January, 1983 in Katsina State, Professor Maikudi is a distinguished scholar and professor of International Law at the University of Abuja. She attended the Sacred Heart School, Kaduna, for her primary education, before proceeding to Queens College, Yaba, Lagos, where she earned the West African Senior School Certificate in 1999. She obtained the Bachelor of Law from the University of Reading, in 2004, followed with an LLM from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2005. After completing her legal education at the Nigerian Law School (2006–2007), she followed with a PhD in International Law from the University of Abuja in 2015. READ ALSO: Mmesoma, JAMB and Nigerian Sentiments She joined the University of Abuja as Lecturer II on 4th September 2008, and rose through the ranks to become a professor in 2021. The new Vice Chancellor had been Head of Department, in 2013; Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law, 2018, and the pioneer Director of the University of Abuja International Centre in 2019. As the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), it was reported that she contributed to enhancing academic standards by promoting a culture of excellence at the University. She is also credited with introducing the study of ‘United Nations Law’ at the University of Abuja in 2019. In addition to teaching, research and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students, the new vice chancellor has numerous publications in academic journals and book chapters to her credit. Prof Maikudi has represented her university and country at numerous national and international conferences, workshops, and training sessions across the UK, US, South Africa, Germany, Italy, China, Ghana, and Egypt and other forums where she had made scholarly presentations. The new Vice-Chancellor is an active member of several professional organisations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Law Teachers Association (NLTA), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and Nigerian Society of International Law.

Dr. Oscar Atumah, Uniabuja PG 2017/18/19 Class: A Re-union of Gerontologists

Post graduate students of the Department of Sociology of University of Abuja re-united with their lecturer, Dr. Oscar Atumah, yesterday at Jabi Abuja. The students involved in the cherished gathering were the 2017/18 set of masters and doctorate students. By the recollections of the students, Dr. Atumah was a unique lecturer who engaged with the students in the best global standards that was devoid of extortionist tendencies. Upon sighting Dr. Atumah who flew in from his base in the United States, the students, who had been waiting for about an hour, all sprang on their feet and danced ecstatically to welcome their hero. READ ALSO: University of Abuja Renamed Yakubu Gowon University Dr. Atuma was a specialist gerontologist who introduced students to modern digital learning techniques like the use of electronic library and the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing method. He also encouraged the students to participate in virtual classes as a way of developing their own skills in e-learning and presentation. In a brief remark that was regularly interrupted by deafening applause, Dr. Atumah told the old students that his motivation for the re-union was to “build on our extant relationships and to create a forum for networking.” He regretted that his sojourn at University of Abuja was cut short because of opposition by entrenched interests to the modernity that he tried to introduce. The students took turns to narrate their fun memories with Dr. Atumah who many described as a no-nonsense teacher who does not condone laziness or being taken for granted. Mayor Samuel, the Class Governor disclosed how he spearheaded a campaign to have Dr. Atumah’s course downgraded to an elective just to avoid some of the strict study innovations being introduced. Yours sincerely, a doctorate student in his recollections, portrayed Dr. Oscar Atumah as the change agent that was misunderstood by the target beneficiaries of his modernising efforts.

UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA: THE END OF AN INGLORIOUS REIGN

By Samson Gbemiga Ogunwoye The controversial reign of Prof. Abdul Rasheed Na’Aallah as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja has come to an end. It is worth noting that his administration left a bitter-sweet taste in the mouths of many, with many believing that the tenure of the Kwara State born academic was characterized by an Osama-like terror, Hitler’s bullying, and Abacha’s impunity. As it is to be expected, the end of every reality is sacrosanct, and hence, this farewell dirge to a man many dreaded like a tyrant Upon his assumption of office, many were under the euphoria that he was coming to make a positive difference, seeing as the university was several years behind its growth projections as a befitting Ivory Tower in the national capital of Africa’s largest country. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a mistaken perception that was largely fueled by his initial grandstanding and loquacious posturing about his leadership acumen and a nonexistent developmental footprint. Prof. Na’Allah, was discovered to be a braggadocio that sees himself as a superior entity to every mortal. No student, not even a lecturer, could look into his eyes and dare to offer a contrary opinion; even the people that facilitated his appointment were pushed down the ladder; used and discarded. When Prof. Na’Allah took over management of the University of Abuja, it was ranked 9th best university in Nigeria by the National University Commission (NUC) in 2019. Within five years of a ruthless act of misgovernance, he is handing over a citadel of learning that now ranks 27th in the country. His tenure is therefore a tragic moment of management that should never befall any institution in Nigeria again. During his five years in office, Na’Allah raised the school fees five times. When he arrived in 2019, school fees were as low as N23,000, but as of today, when he is departing, some are as much as N250,000. The acceptance fee was arbitrarily increased from N4,500 to N50,000. Arbitrary fee increments forced many known students out of school. Our association found itself in a puzzling situation most times, where it had to raise funds for affected students. Many students had to wait for more years because they could not write exams due to late payment of school fees or delays in course registration due to the continuous technical glitches experienced with the so-called Integrated Portal that he imported from his former University, which consumes more funds than necessary. There is no doubting the fact that he took commendable strides in the effort to improve physical infrastructure of the university, but virtually all the structures he built were alleged to be at astronomically inflated prices. A testament to the overloaded contracts with substandard delivery were the dilapidated and moribund state of buildings, barely two years after completion. Many of the build structures have had their roofs repaired with unabated leakages. Bad furniture, substandard facilities like air conditioning, electronics, amongst others have been consigned unserviceable, several years ahead of their expected lifespan. It is pathetic that Malam Na’Allah built more mosques than hostels and libraries within the campus. Numerous recruitment exercises were ill-fated because they were largely underscored by impeccable mediocrity, bigotry and impunity. In several instances, he imported second class lower as a graduate assistant at the expense of internally qualified candidates with first class and strong second-class lower degree. He did a great disservice to the University of Abuja graduates by projecting us as unemployable. The fact that 90% of his employees are from other universities lends credence to that assertion. If the illegal recruitment is allowed to stand, the repercussions of the deleterious exercise will be indelible, not only within Abuja but throughout the larger society, that will feel the impact of the half-baked graduates that this new set of lecturers will produce. The VC is alleged to show total disregard for federal character in a university that prides itself on being a university of national unity. About 90% of the people employed are from one region or religion. A lady from Baze University who got employed into my department reportedly said she got the job against her wish even though her father paid for it. Na’Allah was not alone, as there was evidence that top officials in the ministry of education and some top politicians were accomplices, thus turning an ivory tower into a cash and carry market. The sordid incident that occurred at the Department of Sociology is worthy of recount just to buttress the degree of high-handedness of the departing Vice Chancellor. Na’Allah brought in a graduate with a second-class lower degree from another university and engaged the fellow as a lecturer. But the then lady HOD stood her ground and refused to sign the guy into the department. The following day, the lady was abruptly removed as HOD, and a junior lecturer who was hired by Na’Allah less than a year earlier was made the new HOD to do all the dirty work. These are not fallacies, but realities. It happened. Na’Allah met a functional Alumni Association but paralysed it in his bid to silence all the prospective dissenting voices and opinions. The divide and rule tactic adopted as strategy by the VC weakened ASUU for several years, as it took the union almost five years to introspect and re-strategize before they could confront the monster in Na’Allah. It’s pathetic to know that Na’Allah met a University of Abuja without strike but left the school on strike. With his gangs of academic hooligans, Na’Allah practically killed the Student Union. Two variants of student union leaders were nurtured by Na’Allah: the lollipop generation with milk spilled all over their mouths and the crumble eaters who survive from patronage, most especially from National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). The former were bullied to acute silence, and Na’Allah feasted on their credulity and timidity, while the latter were fed with crumbs, and he rode on their gluttonous appetite. The few dissenting voices, who

University of Abuja elects youngest Acting VC

The Senate of the University of Abuja, has elected Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution pending the inauguration of the University Council and the appointment of a substantive Vice-Chancellor. This followed the end of the tenure of Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah as the 6th Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) on June 30, 2024. Aisha is a Professor of International Law and the current Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University. Born on January 31, 1983, in Zaria, Kaduna State, she obtained her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). She attended the University of Reading and the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom, after her Secondary school education, where she obtained her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and Master of Laws (LLM) degrees, respectively. She also attended the Nigeria Law School, Abuja, for her call to the Bar and the University of Abuja for her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Law. Aisha participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2007, at the Corporate Secretariat and Legal Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Aisha joined the University of Abuja in 2008 as a Lecturer and became the first female and youngest Head of the Department, Faculty of Law in 2014; the first female and youngest Deputy Dean, Faculty of Law in 2018; and the pioneer Director University of Abuja. The acting Vice Chancellor is the youngest Professor of the University of Abuja and indeed Nigeria, as well as the first female Professor of Law in the North West and the University of Abuja. She specializes in United Nations Law and has written extensively on the area. She completed a Postgraduate course on United Nations Law and has supervised numerous undergraduate and postgraduate works. She has also taught Company Law for over 12 years and is well-versed in its mechanics. She has participated in numerous conferences and trainings worldwide. She is also a Member of various professional associations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Nigerian Law Teachers Association (NLTA), and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (IFWL). Prof Aisha is married with children.