Needless crisis at University of Abuja over VC position

BY JOHN ADAM

This week, several media outlets circulated stories alleging a “succession crisis” at the University of Abuja, supposedly centred on the appointment of the next substantive vice-chancellor. These stories, published by at least five mainstream newspapers and multiple online platforms, claim that there is a plot to impose the acting vice-chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, as the substantive vice-chancellor. They allege that this so-called plot is orchestrated by the former vice-chancellor, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, the minister of education, Tahir Mamman, and the chairman of the governing council, AVM Saddiq Ismaila Kaita.

According to these reports, the recent advertisement for the vice-chancellor position omitted the requirement of a minimum post-professorial experience, allegedly to allow Professor Maikudi to apply. Cynics claimed she is unqualified, citing her promotion to professor in 2022. However, the facts are clear: Professor Maikudi attained her professorship in 2021, not 2022, and the advertisement was a result of an entirely different process.

The publication of this story across multiple outlets, all citing vague and unverifiable “sources,” provokes significant questions. From decades of media observation, it’s apparent that this campaign was a coordinated effort—a hatchet job. Under normal circumstances, such a story would have surfaced as an exclusive in a single paper or prompted by a press conference or a signed press release. The rush to print without verifiable evidence or sources suggests a deliberate attempt to manipulate public perception and heat up the system.

What is the real issue?

Professor Na’Allah, who served as vice-chancellor, left behind an impressive legacy, having transformed the University of Abuja. After his tenure, and in the absence of a governing council, he advertised for the vice-chancellor position through the minister of education. This advertisement, however, sparked protests from certain interest groups, particularly the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which claimed that only the council had the authority to issue such an advertisement. The union went on strike for 82 days to press for other demands, including a fresh election for the office of deans, a review of promotion and appointment made by Na’Allah.

For those paying attention, the objection to the advert was not really about the procedural issue but rather the standards set in. These standards, which emphasised academic rigour and experience, were seen as a barrier to some candidates favoured by these interest groups. Following the constitution of the 10th governing council of the University, ASUU lobbied for a revised advertisement, which led to some adjustments—allegedly to “lower” the bar, such as removing the requirement of having presented at 10 International seminars.

It is against this background that claims of a “plot” to favour Professor Maikudi are not only unfounded but hypocritical. The revisions in the advertisement were, in fact, driven by the protests of ASUU, not by any attempt to favour a specific candidate. To villify Maikudi for benefiting from these changes is deeply unjust, particularly when she had no role in influencing the council’s decisions.

The question is this: is Professor Maikudi not really qualified as pushed forth by this misleading and disingenuous campaign? To start with, there is no law or university statute that mandates a vice-chancellor to have a specific number of years post-professorship. The idea that only such a professor can effectively lead a university is both elitist and unfounded. After all, we have seen numerous examples of long-standing professors mismanaging institutions, while others with less experience have achieved greatly. Furthermore, many universities, including the University of Maiduguri, Usman Dan Fodio University, and a few others, have appointed vice-chancellors without stipulating such a requirement.

Professor Maikudi, at 41, is a highly accomplished academic and administrator. As a professor of International Law, she has served as the first female deputy dean of the faculty of law, head of department, pioneer director of the University of Abuja International Centre, and deputy vice-chancellor (academic). She holds degrees from prestigious institutions, including the University of Reading, the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the University of Abuja. Her extensive experience within the University of Abuja and outside it gives her a unique advantage in the workings and challenges of a university system.

The unfounded attacks against her— bordering not on her qualifications but seemingly on her gender, regional background, and age—are a distraction from the real issue: the vested interests seeking to influence the selection process for their own gain.

Let it be clear that the so-called “succession crisis” at the University of Abuja is a cooked-up controversy aimed at discrediting a qualified candidate and pushing forward less-qualified alternatives. The governing council has been transparent and will continue to be so. Attempts to undermine this process and cast doubt on legitimate candidates like Professor Maikudi should be seen for what they are: efforts to disrupt the progress of the University of Abuja for selfish ends.

Professor Maikudi’s candidacy should be evaluated on its merits, not through the lens of a media-driven smear campaign. The University and its stakeholders must remain focused on ensuring that the best candidate is selected to continue the institution’s upward trajectory.

Essentially, this orchestrated campaign should not scare this woman, nor those who believe in her capacity to change the University of Abuja. Making much fuss about a non-existent crisis and attempting to set a self-serving agenda to scare away legitimate candidates like Maikudi should be dismissed as mere paranoid from those who thrive on crises and brazen incompetence.

John O. Adam, a graduate of chemistry from the University of Abuja, writes from Abuja