Abia state governor Alex Otti sacks ABSU Vice chancellor over functioning as traditional ruler of his village

Abia State Government has removed the Vice Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu, Prof. Onyemachi Ogbulu and other principal officers of the university.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this in Umuahia on Monday, while briefing the press on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council, EXCO meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti, disclosing that the new VC is now Prof. Ndukwe Okeudo.

Prince Kanu said, “Rt. Hon. Agwu U. Agwu is the new Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Catherine Uju Ifejika is the new Chancellor, and Onwubiko Dike is a member of the Governing Council.”

Others, he said, are the “Appointment of new DVCs, 4 members of the Senate: 2 members of the congregation, 1 member of Convocation, I member from Ministry of Education, and an appointment of a new Bursar”, while the appointments take effect from November 1, 2024.

According to the commissioner, this was a fallout of the ABSU visitation panel report as approved for release and publication on Saturday, October 26, 2024.

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The panel report had recommended that the former VC should be investigated over his “traditional title and Payroll admission”, among others.

According to the White Paper, “The panel also recommended the withdrawal of the M.Phil certificate and the termination of the PhD programme of the former Bursar, Mr Chucks Chikwendu Nwaogwugwu, due to the irregularities in his admission.”

Earlier based on rumour, the former VC, Prof. Ogbulu, was alleged to be a traditional ruler as well as a university VC and was also said to have resigned.

However on Sunday, when confronted on the allegations, he said he had nothing to say until he got the panel report.