Anxiety has enveloped Joseph Saawuan Tarka University (JSTU), Makurdi, Benue State over purported plot by the new Edith Chidinma Uwajomogu-led board to appoint a non-indigene as vice chancellor.
The natives and stakeholders of the institution, formerly known as University of Agriculture Makurdi (UAM) have, therefore, called on the governing council to obey existing laws, which sanction only community members to become the chief executive.
The position was advertised on October 18, 2022 and closed six weeks thereafter. Eighteen professors applied for the job, out of which 16 were shortlisted.
The other two were said to have been disqualified on basis that their areas of discipline were not offered by the university at the time of the announcement.
Following rising insecurity and campaigns for this year’s general elections, stakeholders have advised the council to be circumspect.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that the strategy has been to consider years of professor in picking a local for the post.
He stated: “It started with five years and was moved to five years but in the middle of the last process, it was changed to 10 years, a matter that became a subject of litigation by some ex- students of the university, but was dismissed by the court on account of locus not being professors and now brought back to seven years.
“Allegations that a group of people is influencing the appointment of a non-indigene has also not gone down well with many staff of the university, who are said to prefer a long-serving professor as next VC.”
