The management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) has defended its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, over the controversy surrounding the institution’s recent recruitment exercise, insisting she played no role in the employment process.
Addressing journalists in Umudike, the university’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Mr. Anyaso Anyaso, said the recruitment exercise had been concluded before Prof. Akanwa assumed office as Vice-Chancellor on March 1, 2026.
He maintained that attempts to link the Vice-Chancellor to the controversy were based on misinformation, stressing that both the recruitment exercise and the payroll capture of successful applicants had already been completed under the previous administration.
According to the university, the Federal Government approved the recruitment of 426 staff, a figure that was also endorsed by the institution’s Governing Council.
However, the management alleged that the immediate past administration exceeded the approved quota by issuing appointment letters to 618 persons, while 553 names were eventually uploaded onto the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
The university explained that only the 426 positions officially approved by the Federal Government and the Governing Council were recognised by the federal payroll system, leaving the excess recruits outside the approved salary structure.
The clarification follows complaints by some affected workers, who said they were recruited in February 2026 and had been working without salaries before being invited to a meeting where their identity cards were collected.
According to the workers, they were also issued fresh letters describing them as “Surplus to Needs,” leaving them uncertain about their employment status.
Responding to the concerns, the university insisted that the current administration merely inherited the consequences of decisions taken before Prof. Akanwa’s appointment.
The management also rejected allegations that the Vice-Chancellor removed names from the federal payroll, explaining that payroll management is handled through GIFMIS by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and that the Vice-Chancellor has no authority to upload, delete or alter employee records on the platform.
While expressing sympathy for the affected workers, the university said it lacked the budgetary allocation required to pay employees recruited beyond the approved quota.
It further denied dismissing any staff, maintaining that it is simply complying with the Federal Government’s approved recruitment limit and directives from the Governing Council.
The institution urged members of the public to disregard what it described as false narratives aimed at tarnishing the image of the Vice-Chancellor and advised stakeholders to rely only on official communications regarding the matter.