Tension At Edo State University Uzairue As “Suspended Acting VC, Registrar Refuse To Vacate Office”
In an appeal to Governor Monday Okpebholo, some staff members expressed their concerns about an ongoing administrative crisis involving the institution’s suspended Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dawood Egbefo, and Registrar, Mr. Habib Ekhalefo, over claims of corruption, high-handedness, and non-compliance with due process, which have caused significant unrest within the university community.
In their letter to the governor, they stated that the issue was caused by claims of financial wrongdoing, such as contract splitting, financial mismanagement, and disobedience to institutional policies. As a result, the university’s Governing Council suspended them on November 4, 2024.
The suspended Acting Vice Chancellor and Registrar have refused to resign their positions, according to the letter, which was copied to the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and the Chairman of the Edo State Assembly’s Education Committee.
Tensions on campus apparently increased as a result of the discussions and decisions they made. The letter claims that because of these measures, there is a fear-based atmosphere and that employees who followed the Council’s instructions have been threatened and intimidated. A number of employees have allegedly been the object of illegal disciplinary actions, such as inquiries, threats of salary withholding, and the creation of a “Kangaroo Disciplinary Committee” to try them for following legitimate directives from the Council.
According to the petition, the suspended officials allegedly block authorized promotions in order to prevent staff members who are unwilling to support their hold on power from receiving promotions, raising concerns about interruptions to the university’s promotion process.
Additionally, the employees claimed that the Acting Vice Chancellor had appointed about 100 people without following the proper procedures, and that hasty confirmations were being made. In order to implement the suspension orders and bring stability back to the fledgling institution, the staff demanded that the governor step in right now.
They cautioned that if these problems are not resolved very away, important academic staff members who are already departing the system may be lost.
The letter urged for swift action to guarantee that Edo State University Uzairue continues on its path to becoming a top-tier educational institution, even as it expressed faith in Okpebholo’s response to the urgent issues.
