₦airaland Forum

The Missionary Servants of the Church (MSC) also known as Missionary Sons of Iwene Tansi (MST) and the Incorporated Truestees of Tansian University, has formally rejected the appointment of Prof Nnamdi Umeoduagu as Acting Vice-Chancellor, telling Nigeria’s National Universities Commission that Prof Eugene Okoye Nwadialor remains the university’s lawful and substantive Vice-Chancellor.

In a letter dated September 29 and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja, the MSC said there was no lawful vacancy in the office that could justify the appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor.

The letter follows a September 3 letter from the NUC seeking clarification over the appointment of Prof Umeoduagu, according to the MSC correspondence.
Peter Okey Ejikeme, (member of MSC BOT of Tansian University recognized by the NUC that is still living), said the organisation’s position was that Prof Nwadialor had been properly appointed to another five-year term and that his tenure had not expired.

According to the letter, the Governing Council appointed Prof Nwadialor on May 1, 2024, with the appointment taking effect from May 6 that year. The MSC said the appointment was made pursuant to Section 4 of the First Schedule of the Tansian University Law, 2007, and would run until May 5, 2029.

“The subsisting and substantive Vice-Chancellor of Tansian University Umunya is Prof. E. O. Nwadialor,” the MSC said in its submission to the NUC.

The religious organisation disputed the legal basis of the subsequent appointment of Prof Umeoduagu as acting Vice-Chancellor, arguing that the procedure prescribed by the University’s Law for dealing with a vacancy, absence or appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor had not been followed.

It therefore told the NUC that the purported appointment could not create a lawful vacancy in the first place.
“Consequently, in the eyes of the Law, no lawful vacancy exists in the office of the Vice-Chancellor to warrant the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor at this time,” the letter stated.

The MSC asked that the NUC’s official records and correspondence continue to recognise Prof Nwadialor as Vice-Chancellor.

It also said it had supplied the Commission with the instrument of Prof Nwadialor’s appointment and the relevant extract of the Tansian University Law, 2007, for consideration.

The MSC’s latest submission does not merely challenge the identity of the university’s acting Vice-Chancellor; it contests the legal foundation upon which the appointment was made. Its argument is that an acting appointment cannot lawfully arise where the substantive office-holder continues to hold a valid and unexpired tenure.

The full letter reads:

MISSIONARY SERVANTS OF THE CHURCH (MSC) — Missionary Sons of Iwene Tansi (MST)

29th September 2026
The Executive Secretary
National Universities Commission
Aja Nwachukwu House
Maitama – Abuja
Attention: Director Inspection and Monitoring

Dear Sir,

RE: STATUS OF THE OFFICE OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR OF TANSIAN UNIVERSITY UMUNYA - FORMAL CLARIFICATION
We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 3rd September 2026, requesting clarification of the appointment of Prof. Nnamdi Umeoduagu as the new acting Vice-Chancellor of Tansian University Umunya We wish to state the factual and legal position as follows:

1. Prof. E. O. Nwadialor is the subsisting and substantive Vice-Chancellor of Tansian University Umunya. He was duly appointed by the Governing Council on 1st May 2024 with effect from 6th May 2024 in accordance with the First Schedule Section 4 of the Tansian University Law, 2007, for another term of five years. His tenure is yet to expire and remains valid until 5th May 2029.

2. The purported appointment of Prof. Nnamdi Umeoduagu as Acting Vice-Chancellor was not carried out in compliance with the provisions of the Tansian University Law, 2007 regarding vacancy, absence or appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor. The Tansian University Law 2007, is clear on the procedure and authority for such an appointment, and that procedure was not followed.

3. Consequently, in the eyes of the Law, no lawful vacancy exists in the office of the Vice-Chancellor to warrant the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor at this time.

For the purpose of NUC records and all official correspondences, the recognized and lawful Vice-Chancellor of the University remains Prof. E. O. Nwadialor.
We have attached for your records the instrument of appointment of the substantive Vice-Chancellor and the relevant extract of the Tansian University Law, 2007.

Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.

Sincerely yours,
Peter Okey Ejikeme
Trustee, MSC

This life.... this man was my lecturer at tansian backt then

OluwasolaDabora:
The Missionary Servants of the Church (MSC) also known as Missionary Sons of Iwene Tansi (MST) and the Incorporated Truestees of Tansian University, has formally rejected the appointment of Prof Nnamdi Umeoduagu as Acting Vice-Chancellor, telling Nigeria’s National Universities Commission that Prof Eugene Okoye Nwadialor remains the university’s lawful and substantive Vice-Chancellor.


In a letter dated September 29 and addressed to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja, the MSC said there was no lawful vacancy in the office that could justify the appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor.

The letter follows a September 3 letter from the NUC seeking clarification over the appointment of Prof Umeoduagu, according to the MSC correspondence.
Peter Okey Ejikeme, (member of MSC BOT of Tansian University recognized by the NUC that is still living), said the organisation’s position was that Prof Nwadialor had been properly appointed to another five-year term and that his tenure had not expired.

According to the letter, the Governing Council appointed Prof Nwadialor on May 1, 2024, with the appointment taking effect from May 6 that year. The MSC said the appointment was made pursuant to Section 4 of the First Schedule of the Tansian University Law, 2007, and would run until May 5, 2029.

“The subsisting and substantive Vice-Chancellor of Tansian University Umunya is Prof. E. O. Nwadialor,” the MSC said in its submission to the NUC.

The religious organisation disputed the legal basis of the subsequent appointment of Prof Umeoduagu as acting Vice-Chancellor, arguing that the procedure prescribed by the University’s Law for dealing with a vacancy, absence or appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor had not been followed.

It therefore told the NUC that the purported appointment could not create a lawful vacancy in the first place.
“Consequently, in the eyes of the Law, no lawful vacancy exists in the office of the Vice-Chancellor to warrant the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor at this time,” the letter stated.

The MSC asked that the NUC’s official records and correspondence continue to recognise Prof Nwadialor as Vice-Chancellor.

It also said it had supplied the Commission with the instrument of Prof Nwadialor’s appointment and the relevant extract of the Tansian University Law, 2007, for consideration.

The MSC’s latest submission does not merely challenge the identity of the university’s acting Vice-Chancellor; it contests the legal foundation upon which the appointment was made. Its argument is that an acting appointment cannot lawfully arise where the substantive office-holder continues to hold a valid and unexpired tenure.

The full letter reads:

MISSIONARY SERVANTS OF THE CHURCH (MSC) — Missionary Sons of Iwene Tansi (MST)

29th September 2026
The Executive Secretary
National Universities Commission
Aja Nwachukwu House
Maitama – Abuja
Attention: Director Inspection and Monitoring

Dear Sir,

RE: STATUS OF THE OFFICE OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR OF TANSIAN UNIVERSITY UMUNYA - FORMAL CLARIFICATION
We acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 3rd September 2026, requesting clarification of the appointment of Prof. Nnamdi Umeoduagu as the new acting Vice-Chancellor of Tansian University Umunya We wish to state the factual and legal position as follows:

1. Prof. E. O. Nwadialor is the subsisting and substantive Vice-Chancellor of Tansian University Umunya. He was duly appointed by the Governing Council on 1st May 2024 with effect from 6th May 2024 in accordance with the First Schedule Section 4 of the Tansian University Law, 2007, for another term of five years. His tenure is yet to expire and remains valid until 5th May 2029.

2. The purported appointment of Prof. Nnamdi Umeoduagu as Acting Vice-Chancellor was not carried out in compliance with the provisions of the Tansian University Law, 2007 regarding vacancy, absence or appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor. The Tansian University Law 2007, is clear on the procedure and authority for such an appointment, and that procedure was not followed.

3. Consequently, in the eyes of the Law, no lawful vacancy exists in the office of the Vice-Chancellor to warrant the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor at this time.

For the purpose of NUC records and all official correspondences, the recognized and lawful Vice-Chancellor of the University remains Prof. E. O. Nwadialor.
We have attached for your records the instrument of appointment of the substantive Vice-Chancellor and the relevant extract of the Tansian University Law, 2007.

Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.

Sincerely yours,
Peter Okey Ejikeme
Trustee, MSC

So sad to read this, may his soul rest in peace.