A former Secretary to Abia State Government, has alleged foul play over plans to relocate the interview venue for vice chancellorship position of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) to Abuja.
The ex-secretary, Dr Eme Okoro, expressed his concern in a statement issued to newsmen on Thursday in Umuahia.
He faulted the decision of the Fidelis Edeh led-Governing Council, describing to move as tasking to aspirants of the position.
He decried the situation whereby aspirants have been given just one week to make preparations for the trip.
It was however gathered that Edeh had cited security concerns as reasons for the decision.
According to Okoro, it is estimated that the university will spend more than N50 million to fund the logistics of not less than 40 council members and management for the exercise, if it holds in Abuja.
He further described the decision as rash, self serving and an affront to the Abia government and the various security agencies, that had not reported any security threat at institution.
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Okoro insisted that Gov. Alex Otti and the security agencies were capable of handling any security threat, if that was the issue.
He wondered why the council chairman failed to exhaust consultations with all relevant stakeholders, before taking a decision of that magnitude.
“By implication, the council chairman is telling President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Otti that they cannot secure a small place like a university campus, to hold a meeting for the purpose of selecting a vice-chancellor.
“The wider implications are that the process for the selection has already been compromised and that those involved know that their actions would be rejected,” the ex-SSG stated.
He further wondered how citizens would believe the credibility and sanctity of the exercise, with suspicion of compromise shrouding the entire exercise.
The statesman recalled that he had personally called chairman of council and urged him to ensure transparency in the process, for the emergence of a credible scholar, as the 7th vice-chancellor of the institution.
He also spoke of the legal and moral issues involved in giving contestants only one week to mobilise to Abuja, considering the fact that the advertisement for the job, did not indicate the venue for the exercise, as being outside Umuahia.
He called on then called on the council chairman to immediately rescind the decision.
“They should learn from what happened at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, where the council flagrantly abused the process, only for them to be swept away by Mr President,” he said.
