Tension has engulfed the University of Uyo (UNIOYO) following three failed attempts by its Senate to nominate a candidate for the position of an acting Vice Chancellor.
The tenure of Nyaudo Ndaeyo as Vice Chancellor ended November 30 but the process for the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor involving both the Senate and the governing council could not be completed, according to investigations.
Since then, the Senate has met three times to nominate a candidate whose name would be forwarded to the Governing Council for appointment as the acting Vice Chancellor but without any success .
Following the expiration of Ndaeyo’s tenure, the deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of academics , Anthonia Essien has been nominated to be the acting Vice Chancellor but her nomination was rejected by majority of the Senate members
According to sources privy to the Senate meetings, Essien’s nomination was turned down because she was reported to have applied and was screened by the selection committee for the appointment of the University’s Vice Chancellor.
She is also said to have pulled out of the race which made her not to be considered for the position of acting Vice Chancellor.
In a letter issued over the weekend, the University’s registrar, Blossom Okorie had convened a Senate meeting to nominate the acting Vice Chancellor on Monday, December 8, the third attempt which ended with the alleged nomination of Florence Usanga of the Faculty of Education as the acting Vice Chancellor subject to approval by the governing council.
The registrar’s letter which was signed by Mandu France Udo, the University’s Principal Assistant Registrar, described the Senate meeting as “an emergency” with the sole item of agenda being the “recommendation of the acting Vice Chancellor for appointment by Governing Council.”
But this was immediately countered by a directive that Aniekan Offiong , the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of administration, who had been presiding over Senate meetings should “hand over to the dean of deans who would now preside over the Senate meeting to select acting Vice Chancellor.”
According to the source, the Senate is likely to meet again this week in a last ditch effort to recommend “an acting Vice Chancellor for appointment by the Governing Council.”
