…says Reports Linking Ex-VC To Suspended Registrar, Bursar Are “Sponsored Blackmail“
UMUDIKE— The Media Team of Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, MOUAU, has refuted online reports linking his administration to allegations of financial and administrative mismanagement.
In a statement on Monday, the Media Team described the reports as “incorrect, misleading, and a deliberate and sponsored plot to blackmail and malign” the former VC.
The reaction followed reports of the purported suspension of the Registrar and the Bursar of the university by the Governing Council, and attempts to link the development to alleged irregularities during Prof. Iwe’s tenure as the 6th Vice-Chancellor.
Key Clarifications
In a statement issued on behalf of the former VC, the media team presented the following clarifications:
1. Audit Query Addressed
The 2021 – 2022 Audit Query referenced in the reports had been sufficiently responded to. According to the team, Prof. Iwe addressed the press on the matter, submitted all supporting documents to relevant government authorities, and also briefed the university community at various fora.
2. No Indictment
The statement said Prof. Iwe’s administration was never indicted. It noted that unlike a previous administration that was visited and indicted by properly constituted Ministerial and Presidential Visitation Panels, Prof. Iwe’s administration was never visited by any government constituted panel nor indicted for any infraction.
3. Due Process Followed
The team said due process and prudence were observed throughout Prof. Iwe’s tenure. It added that resources were managed prudently and no member of his team was found culpable by any investigative body.
4. Administrative Panel
The statement described the setting up of an administrative panel of inquiry to ascertain the level of implementation of Council decisions from July 2024 to February 2026 as “a veiled witch-hunt” and not about accountability.
5. Council’s Role
The media team alleged that since its appointment in July 2024, the current Governing Council had not attracted any facility or resource to the university. It accused the Council of being busy “creating problems and disorganizing a system that has been progressive, productive and functioning properly.”
Call For Proper Probe
The team said it remains proud of Prof. Iwe’s service to MOUAU and urged the public to verify his achievements by visiting the university campus or referring to documented records.
It added that Prof. Iwe is ready and waiting for a properly constituted Presidential Visitation Panel to which he will tender a detailed financial, academic and general administrative report of his tenure with all necessary documents.
The team urged staff, students, alumni and the public to disregard the reports, which it said were aimed at smearing the reputation of “an eminent and productive Professor who changed the academic, economic, social and spiritual landscapes of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike within his five years as Vice-Chancellor.”
MOUAU: Iwe’s Media Team Refutes Allegations Of Financial Mismanagement
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