. Clears air on suspended convocation, ex-commissioner’s professorial promotion
. Says council acted in good faith denies vendetta
. No, you ‘re after me, don fires back, defends SoS to Tinubu
By Steve Oko
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Comrade Fidelis Edeh, has said the council withheld approval for the university’s 2025 convocation ceremony because the estimated cost was not captured in the budget.
Edeh, a veteran labour leader, said no responsible public institution could lawfully expend a whopping N211 million on a one-day event without a corresponding budgetary provision, describing such action as “gross financial misconduct.”
He spoke at a press briefing in Umudike, where he dismissed what he called “orchestrated blackmail and misinformation” against the Governing Council over the suspended convocation.
“There is no legitimate government expenditure that is not budgeted for. The issue with the convocation is simple: there was no subhead for it in the 2025 budget,” he said.
Continuing, he said:“One wonders why anyone would propose to spend a whopping N211 million for a one-day event without budgetary backing. What the council insists on is due process. Decisions taken were collective, not personal.”
Edeh, who spoke through his Special Adviser and former Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abia State chapter , Comrade Lucky Akabuike, said he would not allow himself to be dragged into procedural breaches that could damage his reputation.
“Some people are not mindful of how many times they have been queried by anti-graft agencies or audit reports. But the Pro-Chancellor is careful about his record and will not compromise due process for a tenured office,” Akabuike said.
Promotion controversy
The Pro-Chancellor also denied allegations of personal vendetta in the delayed professorial promotion of Dr Philip Nto, a former Commissioner for Finance in Abia State, explaining that the matter was stepped down by the council following objections raised over due process.
“Dr Nto has alleged that the Pro-Chancellor stopped his promotion. That is incorrect,” Edeh said.
He explained that a representative of the university Senate raised concerns during a council meeting that the appraisal process for Nto’s promotion did not follow laid-down procedures.
“Based on that objection, council resolved to step down the recommendation pending further investigation. It is a case of delayed promotion, not denied promotion,” he stressed.
Edeh said the decision was taken collectively by council members, insisting that he does not take unilateral decisions.
He faulted Nto for taking the matter to the media and petitioning President Bola Tinubu without exhausting internal grievance mechanisms.
“It is anomalous for a staff member to bypass established channels and begin to discuss council matters in public. He even invited the President and Commander-in-Chief to intervene without first approaching the supervisory ministries,” he said.
Edeh added that Nto should direct his grievances elsewhere, noting that the objection to his promotion came from his fellow academics.
VC berated
The Pro-Chancellor also criticised the Vice-Chancellor for “suddenly” campaigning for Nto’s promotion, despite being present at the council meeting where the recommendation was stepped down.
“The Vice-Chancellor was at that meeting and raised no objection. If he is now an advocate, certain questions must be answered. When it was his responsibility to recommend qualified staff, why did Dr Nto’s name not appear on earlier lists?” he asked.
Edeh noted that between July 2024 and August 2025, the Vice-Chancellor presented two batches of staff for professorial appointments – 68 in one instance and 107 in another – both without Nto’s name appearing, despite claims that he was due for promotion as far back as 2021.
“One therefore wonders about the haste and desperation surrounding this promotion at this point,” he inquired.
Due process, not persecution
Edeh said he would not be stampeded into approving “anything substandard,” describing himself as a disciplinarian with zero tolerance for questionable acts.
“Anybody uncomfortable with the Pro-Chancellor’s stance may simply be uncomfortable with his insistence on rules and due process,” he said.
He also faulted claims by Nto that he taught courses and supervised students while on leave of absence, describing such actions as illegal.
“Any official duty performed while on leave of absence is a nullity,” he said.
Reacting to a change in his earlier position not to join issues with a staff, Edeh said he decided to respond publicly because silence could be misconstrued as guilt.
“If the Vice-Chancellor, who is a member of council, denies the process and the Pro-Chancellor keeps quiet, the world may assume vendetta,” he said.
He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to peace and harmony, stressing that the university bears the name of an iconic Nigerian leader.
“This institution is named after Michael Okpara, a symbol of exemplary leadership and positive governance. Anything that bears his name must uphold the highest standards”.
Nto fires back
In a swift response, Dr Nto dismissed Edeh’s claims as misleading, insisting that the Pro-Chancellor lacked adequate understanding of university administration.
“If I don’t go to the press, should I go to native doctors?” Nto asked. “The President, as Visitor to the university, remains my final arbiter.”
He argued that seeking presidential intervention was appropriate, insisting that President Tinubu is the employer of both the Pro-Chancellor and the council.
“Unless they now consider themselves higher than the President, there is nothing wrong in my crying,” he said, adding that he would “formally petition to the right person”, if he did not get justice soon.
Nto also faulted Edeh’s assertion that an ASUU representative opposed his promotion, arguing that ASUU has no representative on either the Senate or the Governing Council.
He said the professor allegedly cited as objecting to his promotion participated in all stages of the process without raising concerns.
“The Vice-Chancellor has publicly confirmed that his committee recommended my promotion. Who then is withholding it?” he queried.
On claims that he taught while on leave of absence, Nto said the assignments were officially approved by the university, and cited his role in accreditation exercises.
He accused the Pro-Chancellor of double standards, alleging that other lecturers on leave of absence were recently promoted.
Nto appealed to President Tinubu to direct the release of his professorial promotion with effect from 2021.
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