UNIZIK Vice Chancellorship: Court threatens to Send School Mgt Team to Prison over Contempt

By Praise Chinecherem

The authorities at Nnamdi Azikiwe University may be in for a fresh crisis over the selection of a substantive Vice-Chancellor following the issuance of form 86 by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Awka Judicial Division on the institution’s management threatening to commit them to prison for contempt of court.

The details of the Form 86, obtained by our correspondent, titled: ” Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Order of Court_ ” in Suit No:NICN/AWK/61/2025 dated 30th Day of October, 2025 and served on the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of the University, Barr. Monsur Olugbenga Kukoyi, the Acting Vice-Chancellor , Professor Carol Arinze- Umobi and the Registrar, Dr. Chinenye Gloria Okeke to take notice; _”That unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison”.

It can be recalled that this latest development stems from a consent judgment delivered by His Lordship, Justice J. I. Targema of the National Industrial Court, Awka in 2024 in a suit between Professor Anthony Okoye versus Nnamdi Azikiwe University and 5 others who are staff and authorities of the institution.

In the said consent judgment, of which a Certified True Copy dated 16th October, 2024, was made available to our reporter, the Court had in its wisdom averred: “That this Court, by the provisions of Order 42 Rule 9 of NICN Rules 2017 hereby enters the terms of Settlement as judgment of this court. The said terms shall be binding on the parties”.

Relatedly, it can also be recalled that the Association of Medical and Dental Consultants in Academics had filed a suit with NO; NICN/ABJ/372/2024 against Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and others wherein the Association prayed to the Court to hold that the Medical Fellowship is equivalent to Ph.D for the purpose of qualification to be appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

The suit was reportedly dismissed by the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja in a recent judgment on the ground that the said subject matter has been determined in Suit No:NICN/AWK/50/2024 filed by Prof Anthony Okoye against Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and 5 Ors by the National Industrial Court sitting in Awka.

Amidst those legal bottlenecks, the management of the institution through the Senate announced the Constitution of a Search Team for the position of a Vice-Chancellor of the institution which will become vacant later in November, 2025 following the expiration of the tenure of the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Carol Arinze- Umobi.

On 29th October 2025, the university senate elected Prof. Amaka Metu of the Department of Economics and Professor Elizabeth O. Ezenweke of the Department of Religion, Faculty of Arts as Senate representatives to the VC Search team.

The University Congregation also elected two representatives, Professor U. C. C. Nwogwugwu and Mr. Osundu Nnamdi, to the search team. The Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Carol Chinyelugo Arinze-Umobi supervised the election while the Registrar, Dr. Chinenye Gloria Okeke, Prof. J. K. C Emejulu, Provost College of Health Sciences, Prof. E. C. O. Obidimma, Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies, and University Librarian, Prof. Stella N. I. Anasi, witnessed the exercise .

When contacted for reaction on the development, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Barr Monsur Olugbenga Kukoyi said he has not received the court notice but stated that there are moves by some persons with vested interests in the university to truncate the VC selection process for their selfish interests which he stated that their plans won’t work.

Counsel to the Pro-Chancellor and the university, Dr Reginald Uzoechi when contacted said there is no legal impediment whatsoever restraining the council from performing its statutory duties in the election of a substantive vice chancellor for the university.

Uzoechi described the purveyors of such documents as desperate human beings bent on dragging the university back on its wheel of progress.

He said the matter in question which they are recycling has been spent and overtaken by events but the council in its wisdom has filed a defence, raised some preliminary objections while the matter has been adjourned till 25th November .

“The suit in question was about the newspaper advert published in 2024 and the criteria set out by the 10th Council for the appointment of a new vice chancellor which was later nullified by the federal government. They want to frighten the council members from proceeding with the process of appointing a new vice chancellor but there is no legal impediment anywhere standing against that process right now” he stated .