The Federal Government has officially appointed Professor Lucian Chukwu as the new Vice Chancellor of Admiralty University, Ibuzor, Delta State, amid rising tensions and controversy surrounding the appointment process.
Chukwu, a distinguished Professor of Marine Biology and the current Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services) at the University of Lagos, was named the substantive Vice Chancellor in a formal announcement on Saturday. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, confirmed the appointment in a statement released by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.
Chukwu emerged as the top candidate with a score of 83.41%, following a rigorous selection process that involved 52 applicants. His appointment comes after an earlier, contradictory announcement from the university’s Registrar, Isaac Mankilik, who on Friday declared Professor Christopher Ogbogbo as the new Vice Chancellor. Ogbogbo, a Professor of African History at the University of Ibadan, had reportedly secured nine out of 15 votes from the university’s Governing Council, a result that initially confused the university community.
However, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba (retd.), swiftly rejected Ogbogbo’s appointment, calling it “illegal.” Ezeoba questioned Mankilik’s authority to announce the appointment, stating, “What authority does he have to announce the vice-chancellor? Does his authority override that of the Federal Government? Only the Chairman of the Governing Council has the authority to make such an announcement.”
The dispute arose after the council, seeking to ensure a fair and transparent selection process, hired KPMG, a globally recognized consulting firm, to oversee the recruitment of the new vice chancellor. According to a KPMG report obtained by Sunday PUNCH, Chukwu had outperformed Ogbogbo and other candidates, with Chukwu scoring 83.41% and Ogbogbo 72.5%.
Sources close to the university revealed that some members of the council resisted the decision to declare Chukwu the winner despite his higher score. A select group of council members reportedly pushed to appoint Ogbogbo, leading to a dramatic clash during a council meeting. This disagreement culminated in the unexpected announcement of Ogbogbo’s appointment by Mankilik, which was quickly dismissed as illegal by Ezeoba.
In response to the ongoing controversy, Minister Alausa emphasized that the Federal Government’s decision to appoint Chukwu was based on merit and integrity. He confirmed that Chukwu’s appointment would be for a single five-year tenure, effective from February 28, 2025.
As of the time of reporting, however, the official appointment letter for Chukwu had not yet been issued by the Federal Government. Efforts to reach Chukwu for comment on his appointment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to phone calls or messages.
This high-profile dispute has cast a shadow over the leadership transition at Admiralty University, leaving questions about the future direction of the institution and the integrity of its leadership selection process.
