An Associate Professor in the Department of Agribusiness Management at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, Dr. Philips Nto, has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, seeking intervention in what he describes as the prolonged withholding of his promotion to full professor, a rank he claims has been due since 2021.
Dr. Nto, who joined the university as an Assistant Lecturer in 2007, earned his PhD in 2009, and was elevated to Senior Lecturer in 2015, asserted that standard academic progression timelines qualify him for professorship in 2021.
He alleged that his promotion has been deliberately stalled at the Governing Council level by the Pro-Chancellor and Council Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Edeh, despite clearing all prior appraisal stages.Speaking to journalists, Dr. Nto highlighted that his contemporaries and even some junior colleagues have received their professorial promotions, leaving him as the sole exception.
He accused the Council Chairman of approving other promotions swiftly while repeatedly obstructing his own, describing the situation as selective and unjustified.
Dr. Nto urged President Tinubu, as Visitor to the university, to step in and ensure that if his promotion is approved, it is backdated to 2021 to reflect the appropriate timeline.
In response to inquiries, Comrade Fidelis Edeh declined to engage directly on the allegations, emphasizing his need to remain neutral as Council Chairman.
He questioned why the promotion, allegedly due in 2021, was not processed before the current Council assumed office in 2024, and redirected questions to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, who chairs the university's Appointments and Promotions Committee.
The university's Chief Public Relations Officer, Dr. Ubadire Agua, issued a statement on December 6, 2025, refuting claims of promotion delays or denials.
The statement affirmed that under Prof. Iwe's leadership, no qualified staff member has faced unjustified delays. It outlined the structured promotion process: starting with the Departmental Appraisal Committee (chaired by the Head of Department), progressing to the College Appraisal Committee (chaired by the Dean), and culminating in the University Appraisal Committee (chaired by the Vice-Chancellor), with recommendations forwarded to the Governing Council for final approval.
All appraisal meetings have reportedly occurred regularly, and reports have been submitted accordingly, according to the university spokesperson.
The matter has drawn attention amid broader discussions on academic promotions and governance in Nigerian universities.
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