Lack of N211m Budgetary Provision Grounds MOUAU 13th Convocation

Boniface Okoro in Umuahia

Amid uncertainties surrounding the postponed 13th Convocation of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), the Pro-Chancellor, Comrade Fidelis Ede, has revealed the event, proposed to gulp N211 million, had no budgetary provision.

The University Senate had planned the 13th convocation to hold in December last year, but it was put on hold, less than a month to the ceremony.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, who would have presided over the ceremony but would be exiting office next month, in a terse statement notifying the public of the development, said “the 13th convocation ceremony of the university approved earlier to hold from December 10 to 13, 2025 has been put on hold until further notice, adding that a new date would be announced later.

He said the varsity’s Senate regrets inconveniences the development may cause graduands and apologized to invited important guests the disruptions must have caused them.

Also in a statement intended to douse growing tension being generated by the postponement, the Head of Public Relations of the university, Dr. Ubadire Agua, disclosed the Vice Chancellor, on November 4, 2025, reported to the Senate that the Chairman of the Governing Council had put all activities of the 13th Convocation Ceremony on hold, pending when the Council meets to consider the budget and decide on new dates for the event.

The statement added that although the directive of the Chairman of Council was received in Senate with mixed feelings, Prof. Iwe had cautioned that it should not create disaffection or cause any form of distractions in the university, especially as his administration transits to a new one.

Many stakeholders, including graduands, had accused Comrade Ede of postponing the Convocation to get even with the Vice Chancellor because of personal vendetta.

But Ede had earlier told THISDAY in an interview that the decision to put the exercise on hold was a collective decision of the Council, denying anything personal.

However, as the issue continued to raise dust, the Pro-Chancellor, during a Press Briefing in Umuahia, explained that the 13th convocation ceremony was not captured in the University’s 2025 budget which made the Council to insist that due process be followed.

Ede who was represented by his Special Adviser, Sir Lucky Akabuike, said: “The issue concerning the 13th Convocation is the lack of that sub-head in the 2025 budget.

“One wouldn’t know why somebody is proposing to spend a whopping sum of N211 million for one day and that sub-head is not in the 2025 budget.

“All of us know that, yes, somebody can omit a sub-head and then reintroduce it in the process of supplementary budget.

“And what the Council, headed by the Pro-Chancellor, is saying was that there has to be due process in all activities in the Council. So, if any matter, particularly a major issue is not in the budget, I don’t know why the insistence is that you can go ahead and execute this project without any budgetary provision.”

He emphasized that every decision by the Council has been collective, “not arbitrary or a one-man show.”

Addressing another contentious issue, Akabuike denied allegations that the Governing Council Chairman was responsible for the delay in promoting a Senior Lecturer in the University, Dr. Philip Nto, to the rank of professor.

He said when Nto’s matter was tabled before Council in August 2025, it was stepped down because a member raised objection and called for critical review of the promotion process.

Nto had gone public, accusing Comrade Ede of personally halting his promotion, intimidating and humiliating him because of Enugu State politics.

He had alleged that Ede had approached him to reach Prof. Iwe, who was the Returning Officer of the Enugu 2023 governorship election, to influence the result in favour of Ede’s candidate, a request he said he turned down and was now being punished for that.

Akabuike flatly denied the accusation, saying there was no link between Council activities and Enugu State politics.

Furthermore, Akabuike queried why Nto was not promoted by Iwe since 2021 when he became Vice Chancellor, if Nto was that close to him.

“This current Governing Council was inaugurated in July 2024. Between that July of 2024 and August 2025, the Vice Chancellor, who is the Chairman of Promotion and Appointment Committee of the university, presented to the Council, first, a list of 68 senior staff whose professorial appointments were recommended.

“And this was for 2022 and 2023.  He presented another list of 107 senior staff officers of the university, who had been appraised and judged fit to be appointed professors.

“Let me inform you people that the name of Dr. Nto was not in any of that list. This is somebody who is claiming that he was due for promotion in 2021 and by 2024, August/September when the Council met, his name never appeared in the recommended lists,” Akabuike said.