Professors reject Maikudi as UNIABUJA VC, walkout of senate meeting

By Usman Shehu

The crisis over the appointment of Professor Aisha Maikudi as Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, is far from being resolved.

This was as some senior professors of the tertiary institutions that are statutory members of the University’s Senate, on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, staged a walkout from Senate regular meeting, declaring that they cannot sit and have Prof Aisha Maikudi as the Vice Chancellor.

Already, 43 professors of the University of Abuja have written an open letter to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the visitor to the university, calling for his urgent intervention before the situation gets out of hand as anarchy looms at the institution over the Illegal appointment of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as Vice-Chancellor.

It was gathered that trouble started when one of the professors raised a point of order shortly after the newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Prof. Maikudi made her opening remarks.

The professor while highlighting the need to add an important item to the agenda of the meeting for discussion, raised concerns over the unprovoked attack on Senate members on December 23, 2024, by vigilance group members and specifically questioned what he described as the “disputed selection process” that allowed Aisha Maikudi to succeed herself as Vice Chancellor.

The professor was however shouted down by some pro-Maikudi’s members who also took away the microphone from him before he could finish his statement.

Following the development, some of the professors staged a walked out, stressing that the process that led to the appointment of Maikudi was flawed and violated the stipulated guidelines for appointing a Vice Chancellor, stressing that Professor Maikudi was illegitimate and not properly appointed to preside over the meeting.

A source close to the Senate of the University said; “One of the professors at the Senate observed that there was an unusual presence of a large number of vigilantes around the Senate Chambers. This ugly development is an indication that there is tension in the university.

“This tension is not unconnected to the deep-seated disaffection of a good number of Senate members on the fraudulent selection process that paved the way for Aisha Maikudi to succeed herself as substantive Vice-Chancellor.

“The professor was shouted down and the microphone taken from him before he could conclude his point order.”

The source also said that the presence of non-academic staff members in the Senate Chambers, who pretended to be part of the secretariat support in the Senate was worrisome and the poor attendance at the meeting also point to the unabating trepidation of a good number of professors about their security at the Senate Chambers.

“Many members of Senate eventually staged a walk out. It is, therefore, no longer in doubt that the University of Abuja is progressively degenerating into anything other than what a university system should be,” the source said.

The source also warned of the possible consequences of the deteriorating situation at the university, saying that if not urgently addressed, it could be better imagined.

It further said; “Already, the morale of academic staff is on record low level. Senior professors considered that the foisting of Aisha Maikudi, with only two years post-professorial experience as substantive Vice Chancellor, is a huge disincentive to hard work, commitment to scholarship and patience in academic career of the university.”

One of the professors, who staged a walkout from the Senate meeting said the progressives quietly leave the meeting because it was militarised with a desired aim.

Curiously, 43 professors of the University of Abuja have called for the removal of the Chairman of Council of the University, AVM Sadiq Kaita (retd), accusing him of gross incompetence and abuse of due process.

The professors in the letter to President Tinubu said they feel compelled to bring to his attention their concerns regarding the gross irregularities, blatant disregard for due process, violations of relevant laws and regulations, favouritism, abuse of privileges, undue interference, and lack of fairness that marred the selection process for the Vice-Chancellorship of the University of Abuja.

The letter further stated; “These lapses culminated in the unfortunate imposition of Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, the least qualified applicant as the substantive Vice-Chancellor. Such events not only undermine the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President but also risk setting a dangerous precedent for other Governing Councils in appointing Vice-Chancellors across Nigerian universities.

“UNIABUJA is now the laughing stock of both the national and international academic communities. This petition is of urgent national importance because the two most important governing and administrative machinery of the university are now completely grounded. These are the Governing Council and the Senate of the University of Abuja.”

The professors also said that the Council can no longer function effectively because three out of the five federal government appointed representatives have vowed not to have anything to do with the Chairman, AVM Sadiq Ismail Kaita.

According to the professors; “These three external members – Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, Hon. Sabo Bappayo Ahmed and Mrs. Chisom Obih boycotted the last Council meeting that was scheduled for 5.00pm on New Year’s Eve- December 31, 2024. It was at this oddly and strangely convened meeting that Prof. Aisha Maikudi was hand-picked and foisted as Vice Chancellor on the University.

“In fact, the three external members of Council demanded the agenda for the meeting, but it was never made available to them. As far as these members of the Council are concerned, they are unaware and have not been informed of the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for UNIABUJA.

“AVM Sadiq Kaita’s apparent leadership failure is also responsible for the failure of the Governing Council to appoint a substantive Registrar for the university after almost seven months.

“This appointment, which is long overdue, is now in limbo because, technically, there is no functional Council in place. Staff promotion and appointment cases are stuck since the Council has abdicated its responsibility,” they insisted.

The 43 professors said that the Senate has not been able to meet because the supposed Chairman of Senate suffers from a crisis of legitimacy having been rejected by almost 50 Senate members because of her lack of requisite qualifications and experience for the office.

According to them; “Besides, the process that ushered her in was fundamentally flawed morally, legally and administratively. Critical decisions relating to the 2024/2025 admission exercise, approval of students’ results, approval of the academic calendar and other sundry academic issues, which fall under the purview of Senate, have been left unattended to several months after students’ resumption to campus.

“Everything is currently at a standstill and the illegal occupant of the Vice Chancellorship office is busy running from pillar to post, crisscrossing the country – even by chartered flights – lobbying for acceptance and legitimacy from eminent traditional rulers and top politicians.

“UNIABUJA’s meagre resources and taxpayers’ money, which are sometimes beyond the approval limit of the so-called Vice Chancellor, are being recklessly expended on an illegitimate pursuit that will ultimately collapse like a pack of cards,” they insisted.

… SaharaReporters

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