The Governing Council of the Michael Okpara University (MOUAU), Umudike near Umuahia on Thursday gave reasons why it appointed Professor Maduebibisi Offor Iwe as the new Vice chancellor of MOUAU.
Speaking in a telephone interview in Abuja, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Rt Hon Lawal Zayyana said after a rigorous selection process, Professor Iwe was found to be the most qualified among the over 15 professor/Applicants for the seat.
He stated that though there was an allegation of imposition of a particular candidate on the seat, the Council looked at the allegation and took some bold steps to nip in the buds anything that would have brought a breach of the peace to the ivory tower.
It will be recalled that there was a move to impose a candidate from Imo State on the university as VC of MOUAU as reported by this reporter, a move the staff and students resisted by staging a peaceful demonstration on Thursday, December 10, 2020 in the university campus.
The staff and students demanded that the right candidate that emerged as the best in the screening exercise should be announced. According to them, in the 28-year-old history of the institution, only one Abia indigene has served as VC of MOUAU among the five past VCs.
Interestingly, the breach of peace in the ivory tower caused by the demonstration made the members of the Governing Council to flee Abia State to Abuja where they eventually selected Professor Iwe as the successor of the outgoing VC, Professor Francis Otunta.
SOURCE: The Witness
