Court Resolves Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Vice Chancellorship Debacle, Okays Pro-Chancellor’s actions that have been taken so far on the issue.
It Insists Greg Mbadiwe led Governing Council is on right path.
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria Awka, Anambra State, presided over Honourable Justice John Targema,Ph.D, has in a landmark judgment ruled that all actions so far taken by the Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe led Governing Council over the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for Nnamdi Azikiwe University,Awka, are right and lawful.
Delivering judgement in Suit No : NICN/Awk/50/2024, brought before the Court by Prof Anthony Chukwudi Okoye against Nnamdi Azikiwe University, the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, the Pro-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Vice Chancellor of the university and Rev Sam Ufoh, the court dismissed all the contentions of the plaintiff, insisting that the Pro-Chancellor,Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe and the Governing Council acted in accordance with extant guidelines and rules regulating the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
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A copy of the Certified True Copy of the judgment dated October 18,2024,made it clear that “it is the exclusive power and function of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University to declare vacancy for the post of a Vice Chancellor where such vacancy occurs as well as specify the qualities and qualifications of any interested applicant to the position”. The judgment further outlawed the possession of a Postgraduate Medical Fellowship certificate as a qualification for the Vice Chancellorship position of the university, asserting that any would be applicant must in addition to numerous other conditions as prescribed by the Governing Council, possess a Master and Ph.D degrees of not less than 15 years prior to the application to become a Vice Chancellor, and must have equally been Professor for not less than nine years and also worked in that capacity within the university system for not less than 10 years.
With this court judgment, pundits and observers of emerging developments regarding the Vice Chancellorship seat at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University,are optimistic that the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for the university would now be seamless as initial hoped by the university community.