The management of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), has dismissed claims linking the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, to the university’s controversial recruitment exercise, insisting she assumed office after the process had already been concluded.
The clarification followed public concerns over the recent disengagement of some employees recruited during the exercise.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, the university’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Mr. Anyaso Anyaso, said Prof. Akanwa had consistently explained during meetings with members of the university community that both the recruitment exercise and the payroll documentation were completed before she took over leadership of the institution on March 1, 2026.
Key Highlights:
- MOUAU cleared its VC of involvement in the disputed recruitment.
- The university said only 426 of 618 recruits were approved.
- Management said the VC cannot alter the federal payroll.
- MOUAU denied forcefully collecting workers’ ID cards.
- The response followed complaints by 127 disengaged workers
According to him, the recruitment exercise originated from a federal government waiver approving the employment of 426 staff members, a figure that was subsequently adopted by the university’s governing council.
He explained that the council directed the previous administration to strictly adhere to the approved number during the recruitment process.
However, Anyaso disclosed that the exercise exceeded the approved quota.
He stated that although appointment letters were eventually issued to 618 individuals, only 553 names were uploaded to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), while the platform ultimately recognised and processed the 426 positions approved by the federal government and the governing council.
“The federal government granted approval for the recruitment of 426 staff, and the governing council equally approved that number, directing the then vice-chancellor and management to comply strictly with the authorised quota,” he said.
“Despite this, appointment letters were issued to 618 persons, while 553 names were uploaded onto the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS). The platform eventually processed only the 426 positions that had received official approval.”
Anyaso further explained that the vice-chancellor has no authority to alter records on the GIFMIS platform, stressing that she neither removed nor added names to the payroll.
He urged members of the public to disregard what he described as misleading narratives surrounding the issue and advised stakeholders to rely solely on official information released by the university.
“We appeal to the public to ignore misinformation being circulated by individuals with ulterior motives and to obtain updates only through the university’s official communication channels,” he said.
The university also rejected allegations that officials forcefully recovered identity cards from affected workers.
Responding to questions from journalists, Anyaso maintained that the institution neither issued dismissal letters nor used coercion in retrieving staff identification cards.
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“MOUAU did not issue sack letters, and no force was used in collecting identity cards from the affected individuals,” he stated.
The clarification comes a day after representatives of 127 disengaged workers accused the university management of humiliating them during the retrieval of their identity cards.
The affected workers also alleged that they had been replaced by newly employed personnel, claims the university has continued to dispute.
The institution maintains that the vice-chancellor was not involved in the disputed recruitment exercise and has urged the public to await verified information rather than rely on speculation.
