Advertorial:How Prof Greg Nwakoby Emereged Vice Chancellor Unizik But Prof Ahaneku Is Now The VC

The tension generated by the announcement of Prof Joseph Ahaneku as vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka appears to be cooling down before some Professors in the University led by two Professors representatives of Senate in the Joint Council and Senate Board for the appointment of the VC, 2014 exposed how the process went and why Prof  Nwakoby should be declared VC. See the advert below 

     

An advertorial by

NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA.

APPOINTMENT OF VICE CHANCELLOR BY THE GOVERNING COUNCIL: FACTS OF THE MATTER

Our attention has been drawn to the publication in the Daily Sun Newspaper of Monday June 2, 2014 by two Senate Representatives in the Governing Council and other publications. As Senate Representatives in Joint Council and Senate Selection Board for the Appointment of Vice Chancellor, we are compelled to present the facts of the matter as follows:

i        A total number of 32 professors applied for the post of Vice Chancellor following the advertisement of the vacancy of the post the Vice Chancellor in the national dailies on 24^th December, 2013 by the University Governing Council. The Search Committee searched out two additional professors bringing the total number to 34 professors.

ii.      The Council constituted a Shortlisting Committee (which is not a Statutory Committee in the University Act) headed by Hon. Bala Buhari which reduced the number of applicants presented to the Selection Board to nine (9). The Shortlist Committee relied completely on the claims by the candidates as contained in their CVs without verifying or sighting any of the originals of the items.

Iii.     The Joint Council and Senate Selection Board as provided for in the First Schedule, Article 4 (2) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Act, CAP N 139, 2004 constitute of five members namely: the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council as Chairman, two members of Council who are not members of Senate and two professors (members of Senate) who are not members of Council.

iv.     The Selection Board is statutorily required to examine the CVs of the candidates and persons on the shortlist and interview and interact with them and thereafter make recommendation to the Council.

v.      In pursuant to its mandate, the Selection Board agreed that the screening of the candidate’s CV would carry 50% and the interview/interaction with the candidates would also carry 50%; totalling 100%. The Board agreed that the final recommendation to Council would be based entirely on the outcome of the selection exercise that is total score on the two parts above over 100%.  To actualize these, the Board fashioned and agreed on criteria and weights to be attached to elements in the CV as well as on ten different questions in critical areas to ask the candidates during the interaction. It took us three meetings to conclude and arrive at these.

vi.     The CV screening based on certainty and completeness, having verified and sighted all the originals of the candidates’ documents. The scoring of the CV of each candidate was jointly and openly done by the five members of the Board and the following result and ranking/position was produced:

S/N   NAMES OF CANDIDATE                                                CURRICULUM                   POSITION/    

                                                                             VITAE                          RANKING

1.      PROF. B.C OSISIOMA                                              45.5                     1^ST

2.      PROF. GREG. NWAKOBY                                                45.25                             2^ND

3.      PROF. AZUBUIKE S. NWANKWO                                  42.5                     3^RD

4.      PROF. JOSEPH E. AHANEKU                                 41.25                             4^TH

5.      PROF. OKECHUKWU IKPEZE                               41.0                     5^TH

6.      PROF. IKECHUKWU OLUKA                                 38.25                             6^TH

7.      PROF. EMEKA NWABUEZE                                  37.5`                    7^TH

8.      PROF. IFEOMA B. ENWEANI                                37.0                     8^TH

vii.    The scoring of each candidate’s performance during the interaction was done independently by each member of the Board. For example, the Chairman, AVM Larry Koinya (Rtd) assessment of and scores for the candidates’ performance are as follows:

            The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Selection Board Assessment of the Candidates’ Performance

Name	Prof. B. C. Osisioma	Prof. I. B. Enweani	Prof. I. Oluka	Prof. G. C Nwakoby	Prof. A. S. Nwankwo	Prof. J. E. Ahaneku	Prof. E. Nwabueze	Prof. O. C. Ikpeze
Score (50%)	47	35	36.5	40	37	36.5	39	37.5
Ranking	1st	8th	6th	2nd	4th	6th	3rd	5th

viii.   The independent assessments of the candidates’ performance during the interaction by the members of the Board were collated and the averages calculated to arrive at the final scores earned by the candidates. The executive summary of the candidates’ performance is presented here under:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SHEET OF VC SELECTION EXERCISE.

S/N	NAME OF CANDIDATE	CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) (50%)	INTERACTION (50%)	TOTAL MARK (100%)
1	PROF. BEN .C. OSISIOMA	45.5	33.9	79.4
2	PROF. IFEOMA B. ENWEANI	37.0	28.5	65.5
3	PROF. IKECHUKWU OLUKA	38.25	27.9	66.15
4	PROF. GREG NWAKOBY	45.25	44.4	89.65
5	PROF. AZUBUIKE S. NWANKWO	42.5	31.4	73.9
6	PROF. JOSEPH E. AHANEKU	41.25	39.4	80.65
7	PROF. EMEKA NWABUEZE	37.5	26.9	64.4
8	PROF. OKECHUKWU IKPEZE	41.0	35.3	76.3
9	-	-	-	-

viii.   From the screening and interview/ interaction exercise, it is very clear and certain that Prof. Greg. Nwakoby came first with 89.65% followed by Prof. Joseph Ahaneku with 80.65% and Prof. Ben C. Osisioma came third with 79.4%.

ix.     The Selection Board in its report to the Council on the Vice – Chancellorship Selection Exercise on page 10 Paragraph NAU/2014/VC/SB/06: RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL states:

“In accordance with the Provisions of Section 3 of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1993 as amended by Section 4 of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act No. 1 of 2007, the Council/Senate Selection Board hereby recommends the following candidates listed in order of merit for selection and appointment as the Vice – Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka:

(i)   Prof. Greg C. Nwakoby

(ii)Prof. J. E. Ahaneku

(iii)           Prof. Ben C. Osisioma”

x.      The issue of adding the score given to each candidate by the Shortlist Committee to the overall score the candidate earned at the Selection Exercise and finding their average does not make any meaning. It is not in line with the University Act, Tradition and international best practices.     

xi.     It has never happened in any University, including our University, that after getting the best scholar in an interview/screening and selection exercise for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor, the Council still goes on to vote for the candidates.

xii.    Our University was established in 1991 by Edict No.5 of Anambra State and subsequently taken over by the Federal Government pursuant to Decree No.34 of 1992 and we have had four substantive Vice-Chancellors. All the previous Vice-Chancellors were appointed on merit as being first after the screening and interview exercise. Our first Vice Chancellor (Late Prof. Festus A. Nwakor) the second Vice-Chancellor (Prof. Pita Ejiofor), the third Vice-Chancellor (Prof. Austin Ilochi Okafor, SAN) and the fourth (Prof. B.C.E Egboka) were all first in the interview and screening exercises and were appointed Vice-Chancellors of the University at their different times. It has never happened that the person who came first in the screening and interview was dropped unless there is character issue. In this case there is no character issue and Prof. Greg Nwakoby has served the University from 1995 in very many different capacities and positions namely: Faculty Representative at the University Senate, Sub-Dean of Faculty of Law, Dean, Faculty of Law from 2003 to 2009, Director Academic Planning from 2010 to April 2013 and now the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) from 2^nd April 2013 till date.

xiii.   The question today is: Why must the tradition and basis of appointment of the Vice-Chancellor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University in 2014 change?

Signed:      Prof. Amobi Ilika and Prof. C. C. Egolum

(Representatives of Senate in the Joint Council and Senate Board for the appointment of the VC, 2014)

                  

 Picture of Prof Ahaneku supervising projects in Unizik