The Management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) has clarified that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, had no involvement in the institution’s last recruitment exercise.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Mr Anyaso Anyaso, said the employment process and capturing of staff for payroll were concluded before Akanwa assumed office on March 1, 2026.
“The vice-chancellor has no hand in the last recruitment. The process was concluded before she came on board. Any enquiries should be channelled to those who handled the exercise,” Anyaso said.
He explained that the Federal Government had approved a waiver for the recruitment of 426 staff, a figure also adopted by the Governing Council. He said, however, that appointment letters were issued to 618 persons.
According to him, 553 of them were captured on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), but only the approved 426 were uploaded.
“The vice-chancellor does not have access to the GIFMIS platform to remove or change any name uploaded,” he added.
Anyaso urged the public and stakeholders to disregard claims by “mischief makers” and rely only on official university channels for accurate information.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the clarification follows an appeal by about 127 disengaged staff of MOUAU who alleged unlawful sack after working for five months without salaries.
The affected workers are calling on the Federal Government, National Assembly, Nigeria Labour Congress, Academic Staff Union of Universities and human rights bodies to investigate the matter.
They said they accepted the appointments in good faith, abandoned stable jobs, relocated with their families, and served diligently, adding that even a recent staff appraisal commended their performance.
(The Whistler)