An Associate Professor at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Abia state Dr Philips Nto has lamented that his promotion to the rank of professor he said was due since 2021, has not been effected despite that his papers had successfully passed through the five levels of rigorous assessment processes before being sent to the Governing Council for ratification/ endorsement .

He so informed journalists during an interaction that he joined the services of the University as Assistant lecturer in 2007, obtained doctorate degree from the University in 2009, and was promoted to the rank of senior lecturer in 2015, arguing that hence all his mates and junior colleagues have been promoted to professors except himself, his promotion should take effect from 2021 whenever it is released.

He therefore urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on the Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Comrade Fidelis Edeh to release his promotion to the rank of professor with effect from 2021, indicating that a time may come, he may run to the courts to get relief for this injustice he said is inflicted on him.

He said it was curious , that Comrade Edeh who he accused of blatantly refusing to approve the release of his promotion, “has been approving professorial promotion of other academics with the speed of light excluding his ( Nto) own

He said that though he served his Abia state in two capacities, first as Finance and Economic Planning Commissioner from 2013 to 2015, and as Provost College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu from 2016 to 2023, he did so in accordance with the provision of the MOUAU Conditions of Service, with respect to his approved leave of absence.

According to Nto ” the interesting thing here is that during those periods (of his Leave of absence ), I still taught my students ( both the undergraduates and post graduates) and even supervised those doing their post graduate programmes, and politely declined to be paid. Because accepting the payment would have amounted to fraud since the Abia State Government was already paying me”.

He further informed the journalists that when he applied for the assessment of his papers for his promotion to the rank of professor in line with the 2003 Condition of Service that permitted his leave of absence, and is the standard academic procedure, ” I was initially told that I could not be assessed because the period that I was on leave of absence could not be counted for me as having worked, following a new conditions of service which just took effect. But I basically, know that such condition cannot apply retroactively

” But when I referred the management to the Condition of Service in operation before I was granted the leave of absence as against the new one quoted, management recapitulated and gave approval for my assessment”.

Nto, who is the Director of the University’s Agribusiness Incubation Center, argued that his papers, having successfully scaled/passed through the four rigorous procedures for assessment and promotion, the Governing Council, ” should just have concurred with the endorsements at these four levels of his assessment

” But after the Council has sat ten (10 ) times, the Chairman has willfully obstructed the release of my promotion, giving excuses that included a frivolous petition from a faceless group, all these being delay tactics meant to frustrate me for over a year the file is before the council”.

When contacted to react to Nto’s allegations, the Pro- Chancellor/Governing Council Chairman (Comrade Edeh ) said it is the Vice Chancellor, professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, as the Chairman of the Appointments and Promotions Committee, is best suited to speak on the matter, stressing that he cannot join issues with a staff.

” Because if I do , how will I sit on Nto’s matter when it comes to the Council”. The Council Chairman however noted that Nto’s promotion that he ( Nto ) said was due since 2021, was not attended to before 2024 that his ( Comrade Edeh ) led Governing Council came into office.

Chief Public Relations Officer/ Head of the Public Relations Unit of the university, Dr Ubadire Agua had in a statement dated 6th December 2025, and marked *Re: Tension mounts in MOUAU as Council Chairman seeks revenge against VC, Nto , over Enugu election won by Gov. Mbah* stated,

“It needs to be stated that under the watch of Prof. Iwe ( VC ) , all meetings for the appraisal of staff for promotion have held regularly and the reports submitted to the Governing Council. No qualified staff of the University has either been denied or delayed promotion as at when due”

According to Dr Ubadire ” Promotion of staff in the University is a process that starts with the Departmental Appraisal Committee, chaired by the Head of Department, then to the College Appraisals Committee, chaired by the Dean, and then to the University Appraisal Committee, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor. There is also an Appointment and Promotion Committee of the Governing Council, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, which considers all appraisals and presents its recommendations on staff promotion to the Council for consideration and approval”.

REPORT BY GORDI UDEAJAH

Outgoing 6th Vice Chancellor ( VC ) of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia state, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe has reported how he has administered the university from March 2021 for a five year tenure , stating that he first restored peace after resolving over 100 cases filed in various courts against the university.

The VC in an interview stated that he achieved this without stepping on toes and that there was no case of embezzlement under his watch, declaring ” I gave my life to the service of this University and proud of the progress we have made”.

He said that though his administration executed several projects with the limited resources available , he expressed surprise that some of his detractors /opponents decided to smear his administration’s reputation on social media.

He said that some online news platforms had published some falsehoods alleging that his administration splashed to purchase three vehicles for 252 million naira, failed to remit 578 million naira IGR generated 2021- 2022, paid for fake and uncompleted projects, violated 32 acts of Public Procurement Act, including paying his predecessor a severance allowance in excess of 44 million naira.

While he reacted that he came into office in March 2021 during the Covid 19 pandemic era , when there was no internal revenue generation, he recalled that in 2022 , public universities had declared nationwide strike that lasted for over eight months, hence he wondered how the N578 million IGR could have been generated.

The VC said that though there was plan to procure vehicles as proposed in 2024 for 2025 appropriations, the funds were not released, arguing that procurement processes are lengthy and extend to Ministry of Agriculture Committee from the university counterpart before approval to effect.

On the payment of severance allowance, he said he did not pay such, because he did not inherit it, stressing that issue of severance allowance payment is handled by the university Governing Council and not the Vice Chancellor.

Abia state University Governing Council ( ASUGC ) Town Hall meeting with the university Community that comprises the Management, Senate, Staff Unions, Students Leaders , among other stakeholders.

The Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council ( PC ) Rt. Hon Dr Agwu U. Agwu, a former Speaker of the Abia State House Assembly, said that the Council is Student-centric with the vision to oversee the university as one where knowledge of science, information, communication and technology, social and management sciences , humanities and arts, as well as entrepreneurial and vocational skills are harnessed to help solve the problems of the nation.

Addressing the maiden edition of the meeting, he said it was aimed at discussing and addressing arising and outstanding matters of common interest, that would impact industrial peace and advance the university.

The forum also affords the participants to assess what has been done or not done and needs to be done, and how to do the needful towards addressing them.

The PC reiterated Council’s practice to carry all stakeholders along , expressing optimism that the town hall meetings would be analyzing issues, challenges/problems and proffering the solutions.

The Staff Unions were represented by Comrades Chidi Mba of ASUU, Chika Onuoha of NASU, Chudi Madukairo of the Senior Staff Association ( SSANU ), Ugonna Emma Ugoani of the Students Union, including Dr Mrs Christiana Eze, Principal of the Staff School.

They ( Staff Unions ) raised matters relating to some salary claims, Earned Academic Allowance, check-off dues , 2023 disengaged staff that seek re-engagement, while appealing to the Council to address them.

The elated Principal of the Staff School ( Dr Eze) on behalf of the Staff of the University’s Demonstration and International Schools, announced that the eleven years complex problem of the schools have been addressed , with the staff put in their right salary grades.

The Student Union leader Comrade Ugoani commended the GC for instituting the open town hall meeting that included students representatives, describing it as a hitherto mising but worthy slot for stakeholders to interact freely.

Rt. Hon Agwu listed the myriads of academic and administrative problems that he said his led Council that came into being in November, 2024 met, reporting that some of these problems have been addressed, but that all could not be attended to same time within the Council’s eleven months in office

These challenges/problems he stated, range from uninspired students and poorly motivated workforce, decay in infrastructure and unhealthy learning environment, high level of insecurity, that led to staff low productivity, mounting salary arrears and debts, including indiscipline, high level of gross misconduct among staff, plus declining academic standard and low student enrollment.

He said that the GC after reviewing these challenges, has been able to steer the ship back through mobilization of massive support from the state government, cooperation of the Management and other stakeholders within the university.

He reported ” Council set up various Council Committees to attend to staff welfare, discipline and other matters affecting the university, interfaced with various staff Unions on their demands in order to sustain existing industrial harmony, sought and obtained approval from the state governor and Visitor to the university Dr Alex Otti for the recruitment of another set of non- teaching staff to fill the vacant positions

He however said that the various problems/ Challenges cannot be addressed at the same , but as funds become available

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Ndukwe Okeudo said that the university is happy to have a GC led by Hon. Agwu, and Dr Alex Otti as Abia state Governor and their Visitor.

The University during the meeting honored the 66 students who won 42 Medals, comprising 20 Gold, 13 Silver and Nine Bronze, in the state maiden Tertiary Education Games held in November in Umuahia, the state capital, and rewarded with the sum of One million naira ( N1m ).

The Council also undertook inspection of the ongoing giant students Hostel and Faculty of Law Building projects within the campus

On Thursday, the Council held it’s 159th Regular meeting and told journalists after, that the approval given by the Visitor, governor Alex Otti to employ not less tha 200.academic staff was implemented.