The last has not been heard yet about the Vice Chancellorship tussle in Imo State University, IMSU, Owerri as students under the aegis of Confederation of Orlu Zonal Students, have written an open letter to the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha demanding the recall of Prof Chuka Okonkwo as the substantive Vice Chancellor of the Institution.
In the letter signed by Okechukwu Vincent and Ikechukwu Christian, President and Secretary respectively, the students appealed to Okorocha to address the matter in the spirit of fairness and equity, adding that Prof Chuka Okonkwo was forcefully removed from office before the expiration of his tenure in office.
The Confederation of Orlu Zonal Students maintained that Okonkwo’s removal was based on alleged political witch-hunting, and therefore appealed to Okorocha to revisit the injustice meted to the former Vice Chancellor for sanity to be restored in the Institution.
“The frequent change of academic policies as a result of frequently changing of Vice Chancellors who serve under Acting capacities have brought nothing but hardship and academic problems to Imo State University” the letter read.
It would be recalled that the embattled Prof Chuka Okonkwo was removed from office in December 2008, after spending only 3 years of his five year tenure in office, following an indictment by a Whitepaper.
However, the former Vice Chancellor headed to court which quashed the Whitepaper indictment, but said that by “efflexion” Okonkwo would be paid his accumulated wages, but should step aside as Vice Chancellor as his tenure had expired while in litigation battles in the courts.
But not satisfied, the Academic Technocrat headed to Court of Appeal to seek redress that he should be allowed to complete his tenure, since the white paper allegations have been vacated by a High Court.
Following these developments, the Imo State University has not been able to appoint a substantive Vice Chancellor, but instead has been operating under Vice Chancellors of Acting Capacities, which pundits say portends doom for the Institution. Since Okonkwo’s sack IMSU has produced three Acting Vice Chancellors in the persons of Prof Okere, Prof BB Nwoke and now Prof Awuzie.
