Mayhem engulfed the 28-year-old Michael Okpara
University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) on
Wednesday as hundreds of students threatened
to burn down the university should the Governing
Board make do with its plans to plant an
unqualified Professor/Applicant to the seat of
Vice Chancellor.
The Professor/Applicant is a non indigene and
was said to have secured the second position in
the screening exercise for the seat of a Vice
Chancellor for the institution, according our
sources.
Witness gathered that the one month screening of
who will succeed Prof Francis Otunta saw Prof
Friday Ekeleme (Abia) emerging the overall best
with other 15 candidates trailing behind him.
But the Governing Board on Wednesday decided
to substitute his name with a Professor from Imo
State who is behind him in the list as the new
VC.
Prof Ekeleme, it was said contested against Prof
Hillary Edeoga erstwhile VC and emerged first
during the interview. However, the boardroom
and external politics then gave it to Edeoga as
Senator Ike Ekweremadu reportedly used his
influence to see him through.
Nonetheless, during the selection that brought in
Otunta five years, Ekeleme also vied and
reportedly beat Otunta, but the combination of
Edeoga and some powerful persons in the
Presidency that included the late Abba Kyari also
stopped him from being the VC.
Ekeleme, a professor of Weed Science is from
Abia State and has had a brilliant career at the
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
(IITA). During the recent screening, he was said
to have beat other Professors/Applicants, but the
Board, acting on the influence of an APC Senator
from Abia State decided to upturn his victory.
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Our reporter gathered that Ekeleme is suffering
from a fight by three elephants (two united
against one) as the Senator is angered that he is
being backed by a chieftain of APC in Umuahia
North and an APC Minister from Abia State.
Because of this, he decided to back the Prof
from Imo State to teach both Ekeleme and the
two chieftains of APC a lesson, according to our
sources. The APC Senator from Abia had boasted
that he will upturn their plans by installing his
boy.
These academic fireworks were eventually let out
of the bags and revealed to some staff and
students of the university who trooped out en
masse to demand that Ekeleme be announced or
they would burn down the school.
Following the tension that engulfed the university
on Wednesday, the Board had to suspend the
announcement of a new VC until Thursday,
December 11, 2020.
One of the protesting staff who wanted his name
out of print said “since this university began in
November 1992, Abia hasn’t produced only one
VC. There are: Professors Placid Njoku (Imo),
Ikenna Onyido (Imo), Ogbonnaya Onwudike(Imo),
Hillary Edeoga (Enugu) and the outgoing VC,
Francis Otunta (Ebonyi).
Among all these, he added, only Onwudike is
from Abia State.

https://uchenwosu.com/2020/12/10/attempt-to-manipulate-the-vc-position-staff-students-threaten-to-burn-down-michael-okpara-university/

A Prof from weed science .. How can he become a vc when all he knows is just weed and nothing else, he should go and smoke weed jare

The Professor/Applicant is a [b]non indigene [/b]and
was said to have secured the second position in
the screening exercise for the seat of a Vice
Chancellor for the institution, according our
sources

I already know the bolded is the problem, South east and strata segregation, so on state, town or village is inferior to another, no wonder Arthur Eze said igbos don't like themselves

Ikennamurphy:
A Prof from weed science .. How can he become a vc when all he knows is just weed and nothing else, he should go and smoke weed jare

This is a public forum, please let common sense prevail

Professor Ekeleme......a sound, urbane and quiet man.


Onyido is from Okija in Anambra State not Imo.

All around VC selection has turned into a tough battle.

Federal character should prevail. This is a federal university for crying out loud and not Abia state university.... And u the Op, what do u gain by editing the original print? Ikenna onyido is from Anambra, Ogbonnaya Onwudike is from Abia so the VC'ship has gone round the whole SE. Maybe another round should start from the North.

For equity sake, Imo State should have it.

My only take is dat
Make them reduce the school fees
No Normal level.
The students of mouau
The less privelge are crying

Let the best candidate wine
As long asThe interest
of students come first/
Nt some political underdogs that is going to
Milk the institution dry
to rich themselves