IMSU Clarifies The Alleged Expiration Of VC’s Tenure

The management of Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, has said that the tenure of its current Vice Chancellor, Professor Victo­ria Adaobi Obasi, would of­ficially end in October, 2021.

Nze Raph Njokuobi, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, disclosed this while reacting to the report making the rounds on social media that the tenure of the VC had ex­pired on May 31, 2020.

Njokuobi countered that the periods of the IMSU VC, on acting and substantive ca­pacities, should be added to­gether which was the bone of the argument in the report.

The IMSU spokesperson accused one Mr. Fidelis Eze, who, according to him, was the originator of the report, of being ignorant of the relevant provisions of the university laws in respect of the appointment and tenure of vice chancellors.

He said the action of the said Eze was merely a cam­paign of calumny against the incumbent VC and the Professor Chinedu Nebo visitation panel which also affirmed October 2021 as the official expiration of the tenure of Obasi.

Njokuobi, in a statement in Owerri, reads: “Professor Adaobi Obasi’s appointment followed all due procedure as enunciated in section 6 (2) sub section 2 of the university law.

“Her appointment letter duly stipulates that her ap­pointment as vice chancellor of Imo State University, Ower­ri, took effect from November 2016. Therefore, her tenure of office is legitimately expected to elapse by October 2021.

“There is no such provi­sion in Imo State Universi­ty law No: 5 of 2004 which stipulates that if an acting vice chancellor spends more than six months in acting capacity and then ap­pointed as substantive vice chancellor, the period spent in an acting position would automatically form part of the period of substantive appointment. Acting and substantive appointments in the university are dis­tinct and separate.”

He continued: “From the statement of Mr. Fidel­is Eze, one could discern that he is grossly ignorant of the working of the Nige­rian university system and indeed the relevant provi­sions of the Imo State Uni­versity law No: 5 of 2004 in respect of the appointment of the vice chancellor.”