IMSU says current VC’s tenure ends October 2021

Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, has said the tenure of its current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Obasi, would officially end in October next year.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the institution, Raph Njokuobi, disclosed this while reacting to reports in the social media that the tenure of the VC had expired May 31, 2020.

Njokuobi countered that Obasi’s period on acting and substantive capacities as VC should not be summed up, which was the confusion in the erroneous reports.

The IMSU spokesperson accused one Fidelis Eze, who was reportedly the originator of the report, of ignorance to the relevant provisions of the university laws in respect of the appointment and tenure of VC.

He said Eze’s action was merely a campaign of calumny against the VC and the Prof. Chinedu Nebo visitation panel, which also affirmed October 2021 as the official expiration of Obasi’s tenure.

Njokuobi stated yesterday: “Prof. Obasi’s appointment followed all due procedure as enunciated in Section 6 (2) of the university law. Her appointment letter duly stipulates that her appointment as Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Owerri took effect from November 2016. Therefore, her tenure of office is legitimately expected to elapse by October 2021.

“There is no such provision in Imo State University law No. 5 of 2004 which stipulates that if an acting vice chancellor spends more than six months in acting capacity and then appointed as substantive vice chancellor, the period spent in a time position would automatically form part of the period of substantive appointment. Acting and substantive appointments in the university are distinct and separate.”

According to him, from Eze’s statement, one could discern his gross ignorant of the working of the Nigerian university system and indeed the relevant provisions of IMSU law in respect of the appointment of the VC.