Greed And Insensitivity: Factors Under The Belly Why Yakubu Gowon Varsity VC, Aisha Maikudi Got Sacked
The Oasis Reporters
February 10, 2025
@Patriotic Nigerian opened the can of worms of Yakubu Gowon University with the following statement:
“Despite the fact that there are more senior Drs. who have not been appointed Professors. She violated the rule by vying for the post of VC (Vice Chancellor) without stepping down as an Ag. VC. All these and many more of her sins. She is just an example of how things are done in the North, meritless”
When in mid September 2020, 18 candidates had filed in, contending for who would emerge as the University of Ibadan Vice Chancellor to succeed the then outgoing VC, Prof Abel Olayinka, the election was stalemated. Instead, an acting Vice Chancellor was picked to stay on for six months. A very young professor, Adebola Ekanola got the nod to act.
Many other Universities have been in such a scenario in the past whereby an acting Vice Chancellor is appointed in a University for a period of six months and the Acting Vice Chancellor would not be eligible to contest as substantive Vice Chancellor. Even if he or she would have to contest, the exercise would be free and fair.
In the case of the premier University, Mr Ekanola beat four other candidates to emerge acting Vice Chancellor of the institution in a free, fair and transparent contest.
Our correspondent gathered that the Senate members nominated for the election were: Babatunde Ekanola (Current Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic), Olanike Adeyemo (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research Innovation and Strategic Partnerships), A. Oluleye (former Dean, Faculty of Technology), Adigun Agbaje (Former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic) and Gbemisola Oke (former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic).
The Director of Public Communication in the university, Tunji Oladejo, confirmed the election of the acting Vice Chancellor to PREMIUM TIMES.
Before his appointment, Mr Ekanola served as the Deputy Vice–Chancellor (Academic), Dean, Faculty of Arts and the Director, Office of International Programmes (OIP) among other appointments.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor (Academic) held several administrative positions and served on many Committees in the University of Ibadan.
Mr Ekanola specialises in the areas of Ethics and Social and Political Philosophy with emphasis on issues relating to peace and social development in Africa. He has over 60 publications, consisting of edited books, chapters in books and journal articles.
He has published in highly reputable international journals in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and USA. He has also supervised over a hundred long essays, over 50 M.A. dissertations and five Ph.D theses.
He is currently supervising another four Ph.D. theses.
Mr Ekanola has also engaged in diverse academic activities in the four continents mentioned above. In addition, he has served as a resource person or keynote speaker at several academic workshops and conferences within and outside Nigeria, including programmes and projects sponsored by organisations such as the World Bank, USAID, UNESCO, AHP and ARUA.
He has facilitated many international collaborations across continents on behalf of the University of Ibadan.
Outside the University of Ibadan, Mr Ekanola has served as Visiting Lecturer at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye (2004-2005) and University of Bradford, United Kingdom (2010); and as Visiting Professor at Obafemi Awolowo University (2013-2014) and University of Lagos (2014-2015).
He has served as an external examiner and professorial assessor at several universities including University of Lagos, Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and University of Cape Coast.
He has also had the privilege to serve as a member of the National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation team to universities. At present, he is the national coordinator of the Network of Directors of Internationalisation in Nigerian Universities (NODINU).
In addition, Mr Ekanola is the Chief Examiner for Professional Ethics for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He is also a member of several academic associations and professional bodies which include Nigeria Philosophical Association (NPA), Philosophers Association of Nigeria, International Society for African Philosophy and Studies (ISAPS), Africa Network for International Education and Society for Peace Studies and Practice.
Mr Ekanola also served on the editorial board of Philosophia Africana, a journal published at the Department of Philosophy, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
So much for Ekanola’s intimidating credentials. Yet he didn’t railroad himself to be the substantive Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan.
Contrast this with the scenario at Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja and understand why when the news broke a few hours after the Yakubu Gowon University had its 2024/25 matriculation ceremony that rounded up on February 6, 2025, the 41 year old Vice Chancellor of the University had been sacked by the Federal Government, not many people were surprised.
The wild jubilation on the Campus of the University and even in the city of Abuja was ecstatic. One basic thing about people with the sense of entitlement and greed is that they fail to read the room or gauge the barometer of the atmosphere that they operate in.
This is also why dictatorships crumble unexpectedly and everything they keep gathering is suddenly lost.
At the Yakubu Gowon University, it is alleged that the youthful Vice Chancellor of the University, Aisha Maikudi was initially appointed as Acting Vice-Chancellor on 30 June 2024 following the end of Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah’s tenure.
When Aisha Maikudi was appointed an Acting Vice Chancellor, she was suddenly railroaded as substantive Vice-Chancellor on 1 January 2025. Stakeholders were watched this in anger and disbelief.
Protests erupted in the University of Abuja over the choice of a substantive vice-chancellor as professors threw all care to the wind and called out the process in the school premises, claiming it lacked merit and was devoid of due process.
This comes as more than 80 scholars from within and outside Nigeria had applied to become the next substantive vice-chancellor of the university.
According to Thisday newspaper, a disturbing incident occurred during the protest as the crew of Channels Television were brutally manhandled by security operatives. The way dictators run their show.
The situation escalated further, with the crew’s vehicle vandalized, causing significant damage.
Not done yet, the security operatives detained the crew for over an hour.
Allegations swirled around that the retired Air Vice-Marshall Sadiq Kaita-led governing council, in cahoots with certain staff members, tried to install the Acting VC, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, as the substantive vice-chancellor, despite claims that she did not meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the job advertisement.
This move raised eyebrows, sparking concerns about the fairness and transparency of the selection process.
Investigations showed that a crisis in the senate meeting was convened on Christmas Eve at 9.00 am, as the governing council sought to oust senate members who allegedly refused to back the appointment of Maikudi, sparking tensions within the university community.
University officials familiar with the matter revealed that a heated session recently took place at the governing council meeting, sparked by allegations that Kaita was attempting to impose the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi, as the substantive vice-chancellor who was unqualified to apply in the first instance.
The rapid rise of the 41-year-old acting vice-chancellor to prominence in the academic world has raised eyebrows in some quarters.
Allegations suggest she was fast-tracked into her role as a Professor of International Law under questionable circumstances, becoming a professor in 2022 and promptly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC). The young lady has only 3 citations, according to findings in Research Gate. There are universities in the north where you have lecturers who are not yet professors who publish in reputable academic journals almost every week.
Her swift ascension is reportedly linked to her father’s influence, a notable figure from Katsina State, Alhaji Sani Maikudi, with the chairman of the governing council coming from the same state. All of them are suspected to belong to the same religion and the same tribe in a multi ethnic, multi religious and multi cultural northern Nigeria.
This development sparked questions about the selection process and potential favouritism and nepotism.
Also fingered in the succession crisis is the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdulrasheeed Na’Allah, who allegedly paved the way for Professor Maikudi to become the acting VC as a form of gratitude.
This favour was reportedly in return for the support of Aisha’s father, Alhaji Sani Maikudi, who was the former council chairman.
Na’Allah supposedly benefited from Maikudi’s rule-bending five years prior, which enabled his own ascension to the V-C position.
The other lesser exposed fact is that almost all the dramatis personae in the entire saga are of the tribe, same religion, same culture and same state of Katsina as if the federal University were their own family gift.
This development has sparked controversy, with many accusing the governing council of bias and manipulation in the appointment process.
It has also created unrest among university officials and staff, who are concerned about the implications of the allegations on the image of the institution.
The controversy surrounding her appointment has also led to debates about meritocracy and fairness in academic promotions.
But speaking with reporters on Tuesday, the Dean of Student Affairs, Professor Abubakar Umarkari, said 70 percent of Vice-Chancellors assumed office with less than 10 years of professorial experience.
He cited the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and Federal University of Technology, Minna with zero professorial experience to buttress his argument.
The Don assured that the selection process would be transparent.
His words: “The appointment of the VCs of every Nigerian university is determined by two documents: the act of the specific university and the University’s Miscellaneous Act.
“And the Act of specific universities vary a little. But I can tell you in none of them it is stated that you have to be a professor of 10 years before you become VC.
“As a matter of fact, if you do an analysis of all the VCs of federal and state universities, I can tell you that 70 percent of them, you can mark that whatever, became V-Cs at less than 10 years as professors.”
Despite the spin, the federal government terminated her appointment on 6 February 2025 following a directive dissolving the university’s governing council.
Greg Abolo
Credits: Premium Times
Thisday Newspapers
The Oasis Reporters
