By Femi Anamelechi
A group under the aegis of Concerned Nigerians, Education Stakeholders and Defender of Academic Integrity have raised an alarm over the imbroglio in electing a substantive Vice Chancellor for the University of Nigeria Nsukka. The group decried an alleged purported plan to foist a Candidate they believe is not aptly qualified to be the Vice Chancellor of one of Nigerians most venerable citadel of learning. The group in a petition letter signed by Comrade James Ezama addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and made available to all Education Stakeholders called for the immediate intervention of the Presidency. In the Petition letter, the group said “We are compelled by duty, burdened with concern, and inspired by the highest regard for truth, merit, and the sanctity of Nigeria’s intellectual heritage.The University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as Your Excellency is aware, is more than just another ivory tower. It is the flagship citadel of higher learning in Nigeria — a hallowed sanctuary where scholarly excellence has long served as both tradition and torchlight. It was here that Nigeria’s post-independence visionaries forged their academic armour. And it is from this institution that generations of Nigerian scholars, leaders, and global contributors have taken flight”. According to the concerned stakeholders, the foregoing underscores their plea for an urgent Presidential intervention.
“It is in view of this revered legacy that we — Concerned Nigerians, Education Stakeholders, and Defender of Academic Integrity — must respectfully draw Your Excellency’s urgent attention to troubling developments surrounding the appointment of the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria.” The group further said:”we raise the red flag over the alleged candidacy of Professor Simon Ortuanya, whose academic and professional history, if allegations are to be believed, is incompatible with the high standards expected of a Vice-Chancellor of such a premier institution”Concerned Nigerians Education Stakeholders and Defenders of Academic integrity With utmost respect to his person and the office he currently holds and the rights due to any citizen said the following key issues demand sober attention and called for immediate, transparent investigation:They voted:1. A Curious Academic Ascent: From Lecturer I to Professor Overnight. The rise of Mr. Ortuanya from Lecturer I at the University of Nigeria to Professor at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), without the customary academic rigours and peer-reviewed assessments, defies logic and tramples the sacrosanct conventions of academic promotion. The group emphasized that “If the allegations hold, this would constitute what can only be described as academic sleight of rank — a leapfrog that belies years of scholarship, research, and service required for elevation in the academy.”
In the Petition the group also pointed out that It is alleged that he resigned from UNN not in pursuit of greener pastures, but as an escape from academic evaluation that would not have favoured him. Had he remained at UNN, sources suggest, the highest achievable rank today would, at best, have been Senior Lecturer. The alleged backdoor professorship awarded by ESUT — where he reportedly had influence through political corridors — is troubling and calls for thorough vetting.2. Lack of Core Academic Experience and Institutional Disconnect: By every reasonable academic standard, the head of an institution like UNN must not only wear the academic gown but must also have earned its weight. Unfortunately, Prof. Ortuanya appears to have spent a fraction of his professional life in the classroom and research hall. Instead, he has largely occupied political positions — including Commissioner for Education and Secretary to the State Government in Enugu State — commendable roles in governance, no doubt, but wholly insufficient as academic credentials for leading one of Nigeria’s most venerable universities.They queried that:”How can one who has spent the better part of the last two decades outside the academic system now be entrusted with the academic future of thousands?” 3. Scant Academic Output: A Professor Without Google Scholar Footprint? The corpus of a scholar’s contribution to knowledge is often found in the pages of reputable journals and indexed platforms. Yet, the claim within the academic quarters that Prof. Ortuanya has only about 10 journal publications, with none appearing on Google Scholar or other popularly recognised indexing services, raises the very real question of invisibility in the academic world.
Even more puzzling, his name is conspicuously absent in the Directory of full Nigerian Professors compiled by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as at 2021, which remains the standard official listing of Nigeria’s academic elite. Is he, then, a professor only in title but not in fact? 4. Allegations of Misconduct and Abuse of Office Of equal great concern are allegations that while serving as Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ortuanya was dismissed ignominiously over issues bordering on fraud — serious enough for then-Governor Sullivan Chime to bar him from government premises.Concerned Nigerians Education Stakeholders and Defenders of Academic integrity averred that if these allegations are true, then we may be staring not only at an academic of a Vice-Chancellor with a record of compromised public service, now angling to lead a foremost academic institution.The also stated that suggestions that he used his political position to facilitate his professorial appointment at ESUT amount to an abuse of power, and possibly a conflict of interest, demanding full investigation.In a tacit address to the presidency on what the group tagged:”A Call for Presidential Integrity and Action.”
Your Excellency, the health of a nation is often measured not just by the strength of its economy, but by the integrity of its institutions. If Nigeria must reclaim her place as the giant of Africa, we must defend our universities against academic imposture and political capture.This is why we are appealing to you, as the father of the nation and Grand Patron of Education, to:1. Direct the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission to immediately investigate the academic credentials, professional history, and processes surrounding Prof. Ortuanya’s alleged professorial appointment.2. Ensure that the process of appointing the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka is transparent, merit-based, and free from political interference.3. Defend the sanctity of our higher education system by ensuring that only those who embody academic excellence, integrity, and demonstrable service to the university system can aspire to lead institutions like UNN.”They urged the President to redeem this deplorable development;”Your Excellency, the nation is watching. The academic community, including the students are watching. And posterity, as always, will ask what you did — when the temples of knowledge stood vulnerable to politicization and silent compromise.Let us, together, restore the dignity of Nigeria’s academia.”
