Tuesday, June 3rd will be remembered in Nnamdi Azikiwe University as the day the university completely attained federal status, despite having been pronounced a federal university since decades ago. The reason is that from the inception of the university, the Vice Chancellorship position has not left Anambra State, where the institution is domiciled. Of the five past Vice Chancellors beginning with the pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof Kenneth Dike, Prof Festus Aghagbo to Prof Pita Ejiofor, Prof Ilochi Okafor and Prof Boniface Egboka have all been indigenes of Anambra State, limiting the school to almost the Anambra State university which it used to be.
So, with the near expiration of the second tenure of the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof Boniface Egboka, the Governing council of the institution placed an advertorial in various newspapers calling for application from suitable persons to fill in the vacant position. This was believed to be just another Anambra thing, and true to this, Anambrarians came in their numbers, throwing their hat in the ring for the contest.
This advertisement was also preceded with a search as it is the norm by the governing council. The search; the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Emma Ojukwu explained was meant to seek out some individuals in the university who are eligible for the contest, and are deemed to be very competent, but have refused to throw their hat in the ring for the contest, after which a shortlist committee is inaugurated and applicants shortlisted for the race.
After these processes, on 27ths May, news filtered out, that the governing council has met and picked out Prof Greg Nwakoby as the new Vice Chancellor, but this was followed by a swift protest by the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) Nnamdi Azikiwe Branch, saying that the template recommended for the race by the federal ministry of Education was jettisoned by the board in the selection process. They called for outright cancellation of the result, as it was very unacceptable. The race by this time has been reduced from nine to three men, Prof Greg Nwakoby, Prof Joseph Ahaneku and Prof Ben Osisioma.
The governing council of the university which went into a voting after other processes were passed and the Chairman of the Governing council, Air Vice Marshal Larry Koinyan emerged to announce that Prof Joseph Ahaneku has emerged as the new Vice Chancellor, after polling eight votes against three votes polled by Prof Greg Nwakoby, while Prof Ben Osisioma was said not to have polled any votes.
This announcement also sparked off another protest by Prof Nwakoby and his supporters, but while they were addressing journalists to register their protest, supporters of Ahaneku were already celebrating, and Prof Ahaneku himself was already receiving members of the University community who were on a courtesy call to him.
While the protest from opposition candidates lasted, many reduced the position of the Vice Chancellor of a federal university to a tribal thing, with some saying that Ahaneku was not fit to be the Vice Chancellor of the University being an indigene of Imo State. They argued that since the university is sited in Anambra State, there was no reason for an Imo indigene to become the VC over Anambra people.
Another school of thought came up with another postulation, saying that Ahaneku was from Mbaise in Imo State, stating further that a Catholic Bishop who had been appointed for Ahiara Diocese was rejected on the basis that the Catholics in the area want their natives to be appointed a Bishop, rather than being brought one from a neighbouring state like Anambra. They therefore rejected the new Vice Chancellor, saying that he should rather go to a federal institution in his home state to vie for VCship.
As genuine as their argument may sound, one is tempted to ask what happens to the federal character campaign, and the oneness preached by Igbos in the South East if an indigene of a neighbouring state can not be given a chance in an institution he has served creditably. To the previous argument, the Public Relations Officer, Mr Emma Ojukwu said that arguing in that line will reduce the university to a state institution, and relinquishing its federal status. He said that since inception, the university has been led only by Anambra indigenes, and that it is time non indigenes were allowed to lead it, if not for anything, to give it the true federal status.
He argued further that in competence, experience and educational qualification, no one is better qualified than Ahaneku. In a press release to announce the ascension of Ahaneku to office, Mr Ojukwu stated that Ahaneku is not only qualified for the position, but also the best of those who contested for the position. He wrote, "The new Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Prof. Joseph Eberendu Ahaneku, FAS has taken over office from the outgoing VC Prof. Boniface C. E. Egboka. With this handover Prof. Ahaneku becomes the 5th substantive Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK. A former Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academics for four years under Prof. Egboka's Administration, Prof. Ahaneku was born on 1st October 1962, obtained his PhD from the University of Ibadan in Chemical Pathology. He was promoted Professor in 1997. Professor Ahaneku is a widely travelled scholar Researcher and scientist. He is married to Dr. Glady Ahaneku, a consultant Cardiologist with five children."
Having fully assumed the position of the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Ahaneku has been working assiduously to calm frayed nerves and to carry along all interests in the University. He in a maiden press conference extended an olive branch to aggrieved stakeholders, promising to meet their expectation in all sectors of the university, if only for peace to reign. Though pundits had said that the matter which was latter taken to members of the National Conference from Anambra State, and latter the presidency may end in litigation.
Speaking on this, a members of the university, told our reporter that there was nothing to litigate upon, and that if Prof Nwakoby went ahead with litigation he would be surprised as he(Nwakoby) is a lawyer and should know. He spoke further that Ahaneku has long started work, and it is almost as if he hit the ground running, as his actions has not betrayed him as a new Vice Chancellor, and just as he has warmed his way into the heart of many.
On his part, Prof Ahaneku has promised to walk the university up the ladder of rankings, not only in the country but globally. While receiving members of the ASUU on a courtesy call, Ahaneku said, "Rt Hon Dr Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe was the first president of Nigeria, so everything that is associated with him should be first. I will ensure that the university becomes the first in the country by restoring excellence in it."
In truth, the university community in the institution believes that even though Nnamdi Azikiwe University has been a federal University, it has remained a state institution through its leadership, and only now that someone from outside the state has been appointed a Vice Chancellor, that its federal status can be confirmed as true.
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