Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN), Ibusa, Delta state, has been thrown into vice chancellorship succession crisis due to the quest for tenure extension by the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Omojo Omaji.
Blueprint investigation reveals that Prof. Omaji, despite the federal government’s dissolution of the Governing Councils of federal institutions, refused to handover and leave office. He is, instead, seeking for extension of tenure through the backdoor.
A top management officer of the university, Prof. S.L. Shilgba, told Blueprint that the refusal of Prof. Omaji to hand over and leave office for his successor or possible reappointment for second tenure is causing furore in the Navy university.
He said lecturers and students do not want an extension for Prof. Omaji whom they described as autocratic.
They accused Omaji of running the Ivory tower with impunity, and warned staff and students of ADUN not to recognise his authority because at present, “any piece of document signed by any personality from July 1 until the Visitor, President, appoints a real Vice Chancellor, shall be null, void, and of no effect,” Shilgba said.
Shilgba further said Omaji behaves as if he is not aware of the university laws, whose first schedule of Establishment Act (2022) Paragraphs (12)-(14) prescribes that, “There shall be no Sole Administrator in the University, but the Senate of the University shall nominate an ‘Acting Vice Chancellor’ to the Council to appoint. Such Acting Vice Chancellor, in all circumstances, shall not be in office for more than six months.”
He added that on April 14, 2023, Prof. Omaji wanted some “extension” of his contract, which ended on June 30, 2023, but the University community (staff and students) kicked against his ambition.
Prof. Shilgba said he had worked closely with Omaji and was one of his ardent supporters, however, he would not support the crave for extension of tenure by him.
“Some of you may have observed how I worked closely with Prof. Omaji during his tenure. The next day (Saturday, April 15, 2023), I told Prof. Omaji in the VC Office that if he had told me earlier, I would have advised him against “writing” to ask for “extension” of tenure.” Shilgba said.
On June 16, 2023, Federal Government dissolved all governing boards/councils of federal agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies, and directed that all matters requiring Council attention should be referred to the President of Nigeria through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) through the Permanent Secretary of the relevant ministry.
Prior to the 2023 general elections, the VC was accused of highhandedness in the school. He allegedly muffled freedom of expression by seizing students’ handsets, preferred to employ staff on part time basis instead of on the regular basis as well as practising nepotism.
Omaji has completed his first tenure but instead of handing over after the dissolution of the governing councils of federal government institutions as stipulated by federal government circular to that effect dated June 22, 2024, Prof. Omaji refused to handover to the Acting Vice Chancellor to be appointed by the university Senate, an insider source told Blueprint.
“If Prof. Omaji is properly and legally appointed ADUN VC by the Visitor, I will congratulate and work with him the same way I did during his tenure,” Shilgba said.
Omaji had earlier in his reaction to allegations of impunity in the university, denied all the allegations levelled against him, saying that the allegations were just to tarnish his hard-earned image.
“This university has procedures laid out for engaging staff. We have different categories. We have ongoing staff and staff on contract. And the contract is either for one year or two years as the case maybe, even three years. At senior level, we even go as high as five years,” he said.
On freedom of speech on the campus, he said the university has several organs where staff and students have the opportunity to articulate their views without hindrance.
