Prof Kasim Waziri and Prof Rosemary Udeozo had been elected by the university Senate on October 9th to the Joint Selection Board to select a new VC for the University.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof Aisha Maikudi, has reportedly forwarded another name to the Governing Council of the University to replace Prof Kasim Waziri at the Joint Selection Board to continue the selection process of the new VC.
Prof Kasim Waziri and Prof Rosemary Udeozo had been elected by the university Senate on October 9th to the Joint Selection Board to select a new VC for the University.
SaharaReporters gathered that both professors walked out at the joint selection board meeting on Monday when the chairman who is also the Pro-Chancellor illegally imposed a process aimed to select the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Maikudi as the substantive Vice-Chancellor.
In order to complete the selection and announce her by Tuesday as the new VC, she called for a extraordinary Senate meeting on Friday, where she announced that since Prof Waziri wasn't present in the meeting despite joining by zoom, he should be replaced.
SaharaReporters gathered that at the meeting which lasted 20 minutes, she allegedly did not allow the senators to speak after her stooge seconded her motion that Prof Waziri should be replaced and walked out.
Meanwhile, a Governing Council extraordinary meeting had been called for the acting Vice Chancellor to present the Senate replacement so that the selection board would continue with interview of shortlisted applicants scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
The meeting notice signed by Adenola R. O. for Acting Registrar, cited by SaharaReporters reads: "This is to inform you that the 76th Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Governing Council has been scheduled to hold today Friday 27th December, 2024 at 5pm at the Vice-Chancellor's Conference Room.
"Please, bear with us for the emergency of the meeting and endeavour to attend. Kindly ignore the wrong date earlier stated. Thanks."
A member of the Council who spoke to SaharaReporters on the sudden meeting on Friday evening, described it as a manifestation of lawlessness and reckless impunity.
"Absolute lawlessness and reckless disregard to rule of law and due process is ongoing at the UniAbuja powered by Council Chairman. We urgently need to call them to order. Giving 1 hour notice for council meeting knowing fully that members are not in Abuja."
When SaharaReporters reached to Prof Waziri, he confirmed to SaharaReporters that the acting Vice Chancellor in violation of Senate Rules called for extraordinary meeting on Friday in desperate efforts to select her by Tuesday as the substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja.
He said: "She actually held a Senate meeting today. She gave notice at 1:20pm for the meeting for 2:00pm and she didn't come until after 3pm and the meeting held for about 20 minutes and she walked out. She said that it is extraordinary meeting and by Senate Rule all meetings should be given a time frame except for emergency meetings that you can give at anytime.
"She broke that rule, and the meeting was online and physical. They were holding the meeting my colleague who were elected spoke, then they raised a emotion that I am not around and since I am not around they should replace me. And another member seconded it and she stood up and walked out away, meanwhile I was online and I was saying "I am around, I am around" but they didn't recognise me."