Coalition Of Youths Lay Landmines For New Unizik Vice Chancellor ,Prof Ahaneku

 

Prof Ahaneku middle (3rd from right)

A coalition of youths met in Awka and just sat discussing the new Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University , Prof Joseph Ahaneku who had just promised to move the University to the greatest hight never attained before and came up wit the communique that was shocking:  

COALITION OF ANAMBRA YOUTH LEADERS NATIONAL HQTRS: COUNCIL SECRETARIAT, AWKA

08026072907, 08038792944 see below

Communiqué issued at the end of the emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of Coalition of Anambra Youth Leaders comprising the representatives of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN). National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria (CYON). Anglican Youth Fellowship, Old Aguata Union Youth Forum and Youth Leaders of Political Parties, held at OAU Youth secretariat on 1^st June. 2014

The meeting was convened at the instance of the crises rocking the election of a new Vice- Chancellor for Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka; our one and only Federal University. This has never happened since its establishment. Therefore, the meeting was to critically and ideologically examine the prevailing circumstance and come out with some, resolutions, which will ensure that the best candidate as well as students' choice becomes the VC, that Ndi Anambra are not shortchanged and that normalcy returns to the school.

Painstaking effort was made to unearth some facts and put them in their proper perspective with a review of the three main candidates:

1.                 Prof. Greg Nwakoby: He is a professor of Law and the current Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Administration) at the University. Five years ago, he served on the Selection Panel for the Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK. He compromised his position and aided the incumbent VC, Prof. Boniface Egboka to emerge. To compensate him, the outgoing VC wants to make sure he succeeds him. Prof. Nwakoby was not qualified for the post of VG abi nitio. So the template requiring 10 years post - professorial experience for all contestants was changed to 7 years in order to accommodate him. He did not qualify for short-listing. He scored 42 out of 73, a percentage score of 57.5%. Again, two vital criteria were altered, raising his mark to 55.5, a percentage of 76%. This score placed him fifth out of nine candidates for the Selection Panel. At the Selection Interview, the Panel was loaded with his nominees - Profs. C.C Egolum and Amobi Ilika. They ensured that Prof. Nwakoby was catapulted from the fifth position to the first. So his claim to excellence and first position is at best doubtful, and at worst, spurious.

2.                 Prof. Joseph Ahaneku: A professor of Chemical Pathology who served as DVC (Academic) for 4 years. Over the period, he made useful contacts and built up an impressive treasure base that have proved invaluable in the present contest. He also has great financial heavyweights supporting his VC bid. Thus he has been able to spend millions of Naira to bring a majority of Council-members to his side. He came first in the short- listing exercise, having scored 10 points for being DVC and another 6 points for being a Director over the very same period. This is notwithstanding the fact that the institute, for which he scored the double, has a Chinese Director already on ground. A study of the score sheets at short-listing and at the Selection Panel, will clarify the issues.

3.                 Prof. Ben Osisioma: This one has been a Professor of Accountancy for 23years. Five years ago (2009), he ran against the incumbent for the post of VC. He came first at short-listing stage, but was schemed out of the first position at the Selection Interview. This time around (2014), he came second at the short­-listing stage. His experience as Director-General Nigeria College of Accountancy was not scored, and his request for re­consideration was not entertained. At the Selection Interview, he was further edged back to the 3^rd position. The objective test ruled his CV as the best among the 9 candidates, but the bizarre scoring pattern of some of the panelists, made sure he did not emerge the winner. Yet, in all these experiences, he has maintained a dignified silence. His major offence is that he refused to distribute millions of Naira to Council members.

Any genuine disinterested search for the truth must involve an analysis of the CV of all these candidates to arrive at an honest answer of who indeed is the best among the lot.

Summary Result of Three Top Candidates

Name of Candidate	Short- Listing	Selection Interview
Prof. Greg C. Nwakoby	55.5 = 76%=  5th	45.25 CV + 44.4 Interview = 89.65% = 1st
Pro. Joseph E. Ahaneku	69 = 94.52 = 1st	41.25CV + 39.4 Interview = 80.65% = 2nd
Prof. Benjamin C. Osisioma	59 = 80.82% = 2nd	45.5CV + 33.9 Interview = 79.4%  =   3rd

No one is therefore left in doubt, that the whole process has been badly compromised and if the superior authorities fail to act and promptly too, the credibility of the University and whatever it stands for, will be seriously jeopardized.

The President and Visitor to the University should intervene as a matter of urgency and rescue the institution from further degeneration. One way of achieving this is to appoint five independent assessors to interview the three candidates using templates not already abused by any of them.

However, despite demanding that fair chances should be given to the three candidates, we, as the Youth Leaders of this state have deliberated and agreed on the following as our observations and resolutions:

1.                 Due process was never followed in the selection and election process, as there was breach of some guidelines just to favour a candidate.

2.                 The Governing Council appeared to have been induced financially.

3.                 Prof. Ahaneku is sponsored by those financial heavyweights, who are known enemies of development in Anambra State.

4.                 Anambra indigenes have always suffered denial in other states’ Federal Universities; it happened in UNIBEN about 3 years ago.

5.                 Prof. Joseph Ahaneku hails from Mbaise where Bishop Okpalaeke, an Anambrarian was barred from functioning as a Catholic Bishop till date, because he was not from Imo State.

6.                 In order to ensure that an Imo indigene continued as a VC of FUTO in 2006, late Prof. Celestine Onwuliri, an Mbaise man, was brought from the UNIJOS to head FUTO as a VC, even though, an Anambrarian, Prof. M.I Nwufo (the then DVC, Administration) was more qualified.

7.                 Only a Vice-Chancellor from the two remaining candidates (Profs. Ben Osisioma and Greg Nwakoby) will bring legitimacy and consequently gain wide acceptance from the students and Ndi Anambra.

8.                 Hence an Anambra indigene was rejected in Mbaise Diocese as a Catholic Bishop, of which Prof. Ahaneku could not voice out, he cannot become the VC of a school in Anambra and if anything happens on the contrary, we^; will mobilize all our energy and resources to ensure that he is pushed out as has happened to our brothers.

9.                 The Governing Council should be investigated because of-a weighty allegation of fraud and bribery leveled against them by one of the candidates.

10.            Having seen that our chances of survival outside the state are very narrow, we will do anything meaningful to ensure that we widen it in this state.

We pledge absolute loyalty to Mr. President and assure him of our support if the next. VC of UNIZIK comes from one of the remaining two candidates.

God bless Anambra in Particular and Nigeria in general.

Signed

Engr. Comrade Sylvester Emerie Eze MSPE, CISM

National Coordinator/President OAU Youth Forum