The selection of a new vice-chancellor for the Federal University Wukari (FUW), Taraba State, may have stirred a crisis following disagreements among the institution’s governing council, management, and other stakeholders.
The controversy stems from a letter dated December 17, 2025, written by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Iysa Ade Bello, directing the immediate suspension of the exercise.
The correspondence, addressed to the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jude S. Rabo, claimed that the suspension was issued with the authority of the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Olatunji Alausa.
Bello’s directive also announced plans to appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor at the expiration of Rabo’s tenure in February 2026, allegedly subject to ministerial approval.
In addition, the letter instructed the freezing of all contract-related payments and the suspension of Governing Council meetings until further notice.
However, the decision has drawn opposition from Taraba State Concerned Citizens, a civil group, which accused the council chairman of acting unilaterally and attempting to disrupt a process that had already been approved by the Governing Council.
In a petition addressed to the Minister of Education, the group argued that only the Governing Council, acting collectively, has the authority to suspend the appointment process, not the chairman acting alone.
The group, through its leader, Ahmadu Stephen, also noted that the appointment of an Acting Vice-Chancellor is, by law, the responsibility of the university Senate, and not the minister.
According to the body, the Governing Council had earlier approved a detailed timeline for the appointment of both the Vice-Chancellor and the University Librarian at its 29th meeting on 12 February 2025. Following this approval, the Senate and Congregation elected their representatives, while interview panels for both positions were constituted at a council meeting held on November 27, 2025, under the chairmanship of Professor Bello. Interviews were scheduled to take place between January 18 and 22, 2026.
The group questioned what changed between November 27 and December 17, 2025, to justify the sudden suspension of the process. It also alleged that the council chairman had long harboured plans to influence the emergence of a Vice-Chancellor from the South-West, raising concerns about adherence to the federal character principle.
In a swift response, Prof. Rabo rejected the dismissed allegations of interference levelled against him by the Pro-Chancellor. In a letter dated December 18, 2025, he described the claims as misleading, emphasising that the Governing Council had duly approved the appointment process and that advertisements for the positions had been placed as far back as August 2025.
Rabo said he was surprised by the accusations, noting that he had not received any query or official communication from the Ministry of Education or the National Universities Commission (NUC) regarding the matter. He also questioned why the suspension focused mainly on the Vice-Chancellor’s appointment while remaining silent on the ongoing process for appointing a University Librarian.
