MOUAU Clarifies Vice-Chancellor Not Involved in Recruitment Exercise
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) has clarified that Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ursula Ngozi Akanwa played no part in the University's recent recruitment exercise. According to the University, the employment process — including the capturing of staff for payroll — was concluded before Prof. Akanwa assumed office as Vice-Chancellor on 1 March 2026, and any enquiries should be directed to those who handled the exercise. The University explained that the Federal Government approved a waiver for the recruitment of 426 staff, a figure endorsed by the Governing Council and which the then Vice-Chancellor/Management were directed to strictly follow. However, appointment letters were reportedly issued to 618 persons, while 553 names were captured on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), which in turn uploaded only the 426 names approved by government and the Governing Council. The University stressed that the current Vice-Chancellor has no access to the GIFMIS platform and therefore cannot add, remove, or alter any uploaded name. Members of the public and other stakeholders were urged to disregard insinuations from mischief makers, rely only on official University channels for accurate information, and refrain from circulating unverified reports. Signed: Anyaso Anyaso, Head, Public Relations and Protocol.