Tuesday’s removal of Prof Peter Aka as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the Imo State University, and subsequent replacement with another don, Prof Uchefula Chukwumaeze has come and gone, but not without details of why he was removed.After one year in office, Prof Akah was asked to give way for Chukwumaeze, a law teacher. In a statement from the state government two days ago, Akah who came from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka was replaced with former Dean of Law and Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies of IMSU, Prof Chukwumaeze. Information reaching Trumpeta has it that the sudden removal has to do with the laws of Vice Chancellor position on IMSU which specifies only six months for anyone in acting capacity.Since Prof Akah was in acting capacity for over six months, there was a resolution by the university governing board to relieve him of the appointment which the governor sanctioned.Trumpeta was told that in contrast to what happened in the past where VCs in acting capacity go beyond six months, that of Aka was not allowed to be more than one year.Another factor that led to Aka’s removal remains the “home factor”. His appointment last year had raised eyebrows in the IMSU community why an outsider who is not part of the university community would be brought in from another higher institution to preside affairs of the state owned varsity.Despite that Aka is from Imo State, objections were raised about his place of work before the appointment which was UNN. It was further learnt that lecturers in IMSU advocated for a home bred don for the VC than bringing those outside the university complex.The agitation for the home bred VC may have been instrumental to the removal of Aka and coming of Chukwumaeze who had held vital positions in IMSU before now. The clamour for a home grown VC by IMSU community was predicated on the need for the head of the institution to understand the challenges facing the school as an insider.
