The Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised concerns over the conduct of the university’s Pro-Chancellor, Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe, who also chairs the university’s Governing Council. In a petition addressed to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, ASUU accused Mbadiwe of misconduct, dictatorship, and abuse of power.
The petition, signed by ASUU NAU Chairperson Comrade Kingsley Ubaoji and dated October 21, 2024, emphasized that Mbadiwe’s actions, if left unchecked, could disrupt industrial harmony within the university. ASUU alleged that since the inauguration of the Federal University Councils on July 4, 2024, the Pro-Chancellor has bypassed the authority of the Council by making decisions without proper consultations.
According to the petition, Mbadiwe has been making unilateral decisions without the full composition of the Council, which is required under Section 2(1) of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2023. The Act outlines the required members of the Council, including the Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, and representatives from various internal constituencies of the university.
ASUU claimed that while only a few members of the Council had been appointed, the Pro-Chancellor went ahead to appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor and advertised for the position of Registrar, neglecting to include members from the Senate, Congregation, and Convocation as required by law.
The union further explained that it had written to Mbadiwe in September 2024, urging him to ensure the Council was properly constituted before taking any further actions. However, the petition states that there was no official response from the Pro-Chancellor. Instead, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, issued a timetable for the election of representatives to fill the vacant internal constituency positions.
Despite this, the Pro-Chancellor allegedly continued to act independently, directing the publication of a vacancy for the Vice-Chancellor position without waiting for the elections. ASUU noted that during a Senate meeting held on October 16, 2024, members expressed their concerns over the eligibility criteria for the Vice-Chancellor position, which they believed had been crafted to suit a specific individual. In protest, the Senate deferred its nominations and requested a review of the criteria.
Additionally, ASUU accused the Pro-Chancellor of ignoring the Senate’s request for a joint meeting with the Council to address these concerns. Instead, Mbadiwe allegedly selected two professors to serve on the interview panel for the Registrar’s position without consulting the full Council.
The union expressed further shock upon learning that the Pro-Chancellor had unilaterally scheduled an interview for the Registrar’s position on September 23, 2024, despite the Council adjourning its previous meeting to November 2024. ASUU claimed that, as of the time of writing, no Council members had been informed of any new meeting or selection process.
For more updates, join our WhatsApp channel here: Click to Join.