UNIUYO Unions Reject Appointment Of Vice Chancellor

Academic and non-academic activities at the main campus, Nwaniba and the town campus of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) at Ikpa Road, could be grounded from tomorrow, following the imbroglio that trailed the inability of the institution’s management to name a new substantive vice chancellor (VC).

The five-year tenure of the 8th substantive VC, Prof Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, expired since November 30 and his successor ought to have taken over on December 1, but competing interests, LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered, forced the management to opt for an acting chief executive officer (CEO), pending the resolution of the leadership impasse.

A source close to the Senate of the university disclosed that key contestants for the plum academic job including Prof Christopher Ekong, Dean of Social Sciences; Prof Aniekan Offiong, deputy vice chancellor (DVC) in charge of Administration, and Prof Antonia Essien, DVC Academics, and one other don, were the top contenders during screening in the run-up to the December 1 take-over date.

However, contending forces backing the aspirants failed to reach a consensus on the three top choices to pick for presentation to the visitor to the university, President Bola Tinubu, to choose from, after Prof Essien, the reported choice of the outgone VC Ndaeyo, was screened out.

It was gathered that after being screened out, the panel had tinkered on making Prof Essien, a Catholic Reverend sister, to steer the institution in acting capacity pending the resolution of the stalemate for a new substantive VC to emerge but her choice was rejected.