A leaked directive from the Federal  Ministry of Education has disclosed a major Nigerian Government intervention at the Federal University of Technology‌, Owerri (FUTO), as the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ikechukwu Dozie, has been instructed to promptly revoke the appointments of 24 aides attached to his office over alleged violations of established procedures.

Prof. Dozie, who assumed office as the 9th substantive Vice-Chancellor on June 18, 2026, is facing scrutiny less than two weeks into his tenure following the appointments, which the ministry described as irregular and inconsistent with extant regulations governing federal universities.

Specifically, the directive ordered the immediate withdrawal of the appointments and demanded evidence of compliance without delay.

This was contained in a confidential letter obtained by our correspondent and dated June 25, 2026, with reference number FME/HE/SFU/16A/Vol.IV/470.

The correspondence, signed by the Acting Director of University Education, Dr. Kareem O. L., on behalf of the Minister of Education, characterised the appointments as irregular and contrary to the rules and guidelines governing federal universities in Nigeria.

The directive followed the Ministry’s review of an internal university memorandum dated June 22, 2026, through which the appointments were reportedly made.

In the leaked communication, the ministry stated that after a careful examination of the appointments and the circumstances surrounding them, the Minister observed that they were “at variance with the extant regulations, established procedures, and the principles of due process governing appointments within the Federal University System.”

The ministry subsequently ordered the immediate withdrawal of the appointments and demanded documentary proof that the directive had been implemented.

The leaked document also summoned the Vice-Chancellor to Abuja for an urgent meeting with officials of the Ministry on June 29.

According to the document, discussions at the meeting will extend beyond the controversial appointments to cover wider concerns relating to institutional governance, administrative accountability, due process, and compliance with the regulatory framework guiding federal universities.

The summons suggests that the Ministry may be scrutinising broader administrative decisions within the institution amid growing concerns over adherence to established procedures.

“The Ministry remains committed to promoting transparency, prudence and best practices in the management of our tertiary institutions,” the letter stated, while expressing confidence that the university would comply with the directive.

The Guardian observed that a copy of the communication was also forwarded to the National Universities Commission (NUC), the regulatory body for universities in Nigeria.

Neither the management of FUTO nor the Federal Ministry of Education had issued any official statement regarding the leaked directive, as of the time of filing this report.