EBONYI: Confusion, threats at the College of Agric as two rectors emerge

Confusion reigns at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Ebonyi State following the emergence of two chancellors at the institution.

The institute’s staff had paralyzed activities at the college during the construction as they locked the gates of the school and the chancellor’s office while waiting for the issue to be resolved.

The two people who claimed the position were Dr. Jonah Nwawuisi, who was appointed Acting Chancellor last year, and Professor Agwu Ekwe, who was appointed substantive Chancellor on April 10 this year.

The Joint Union Action (JUA) of tertiary institutions and the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) have rejected the appointment of Agwu as substantive Chancellor by the federal government.

Trade unions also staged protests around the campus and expressed their opposition to the construction.

Meanwhile, the National President of the Agricultural College Academic Staff Association, Dr. Kadurumba Chukwuemeka said the union also rejected the appointment of a University Professor as Chancellor of the College of Agriculture, describing it as unacceptable, unjustified and a clear violation of the established procedures and principles that guide the administration of the college.

He demanded the immediate withdrawal of these appointments, the start of a transparent and credible selection process for the seven affected Universities, the closing of substantive Rector appointments in the seven Universities within 14 days, the immediate release of revised schemes and service provisions for Agricultural Universities to address long-standing structural problems.

He said failure to address the issue within the 14-day ultimatum would lead to the resumption of the previously suspended strike, with protests being held in all zones during the strike.

Dr. ThankGod Nwaneri, Chairman of the Joint Unity Action of the institution said that the two Chancellors gave him instructions which he abandoned because he was confused about which one to obey.

“Previously we had an Acting Chancellor, namely Dr Jonah Nwawuisi, and I can say this was an illegal appointment made on April 10, 2026, when they said they appointed one Professor Agwu Ekwe.

“Actually, at the moment we don’t know the real Provost because yesterday there were two different people who gave me instructions as Provost and I ignored the instructions because I didn’t know which one to follow.

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“The problem on the ground is that we have qualified people who applied for the positions and because after submission of their application credentials, they have not been invited for either verbal or written interviews to date.

“So, why did they appoint someone without going through the due process? We have nothing against anyone they appoint, but they have to follow the existing process.

“We have qualified people here for the position of college Chancellor.

“If we continue to encourage university professors to enter the Faculty of Agriculture, this will actually cause institutions like universities to become a brain drain. People will start leaving because they can’t reach the top, that’s the problem.

“Academic activities should be carried out on campus, but problems in the field have had an impact on the system.

“In the morning we actually locked the doors, but in the afternoon we decided to open them. So, what is in the field now has affected the system.

“Recently, we concluded a struggle involving the relocation of the College Registrar, Procurement Officer and former Director of Works to Kwara, Kaduna and Benin, respectively, under the direction of the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Agricultural Research Council.

“These actions were taken without clear justification. They appear to be arbitrary, targeted and widely considered unacceptable. This raises serious concerns regarding fairness, administrative propriety and respect for due process at the institution.

“What is more disturbing is the clear violation of due process in the appointment of Professor Agwu Ekwe as the substantive Chancellor of this College.

“It was recorded that in June 2025, the Governing Council advertised vacancies for the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chancellor in seven Agricultural Faculties.

“Eligible candidates applied and have since been awaiting invitations for written examinations and oral interviews.

“However, in a shocking development on April 10, 2026, Ishiagu was selected and a substantive Chancellor was appointed. This action ignored established procedures and ignored other applicants and participating institutions. This was irregular and a direct affront to fairness, transparency and the rule of law”, it said.

He called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately intervene in this crisis, cancel the appointment of a University Professor as College Chancellor and appoint someone from the Faculty of Agriculture to the position.