The University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has denied claims that it violated current laws and regulations when it appointed Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi as its new vice-chancellor.
The university guaranteed that the VC selection process met fully with all applicable laws and established processes in a statement issued by the governing council on Wednesday.
The statement was signed by Mrs. Islamiyat F. Adulrahim, the secretary to the council and acting registrar.
Under the leadership of Air Vice Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd), the University’s Governing Council “has complied with the extant laws and laid down procedures and processes in the appointment of the seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University,” according to the announcement.
“Contrary to the insinuations in some quarters, the Council strictly complied with the relevant provisions of the two main acts guiding the appointment of Vice-Chancellors of the University, namely the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2003, No. 1 of 2007 and the University of Abuja Act,” she said in her announcement of the appointment on December 31, 2024.
The Council is aware that during the transition process, which began when the University first posted the Vice-Chancellor job in March 2024, some interested parties have voiced reservations.
Nonetheless, it is crucial to remember that all of these worries and problems were taken into account, and attempts were made to settle them amicably with the active participation of key university stakeholders, such as the Senate and the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
That explains why the announcement of the new Vice-Chancellor was widely and enthusiastically accepted both inside and outside the University community.
The statement further said, “Council recognises that in a competition with 87 applicants and only one winner anticipated, the losers must demonstrate excellent sportsmanship and maturity to accept the outcome.”
She also underlined the importance of the university moving forward and letting the new substantive vice-chancellor, who had been acting for the previous six months, develop and carry out her vision for the university in an environment of inclusivity and long-term corporate unity.