Odumegwu Ojukwu University VC appointment: Where Is Justice, Where Is Merit in Soludo’s “Light of the Nation?

By Ekene Okoye

The Anambra State government prides itself on being the “Light of the Nation”, a shining symbol of justice, fairness, and merit. Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the state’s chief advocate of reform, often stresses transparency and integrity as guiding principles of his administration. Yet, the recent appointment of Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha as the substantive Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) casts a long and troubling shadow over that claim.

At the centre of the matter is a simple, searing question: How does a government that swears by justice and merit justify bypassing the top three constitutionally recommended candidates, only to hand the role to someone who came a distant fifth?

 *A Flawed Beginning* 

The story begins on 18 December 2024 with a botched Senate election under the supervision of then–Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Omenugha. That exercise, meant to produce three Senate representatives for the Joint Council/Senate Selection Committee, collapsed amid allegations of irregularities. It took the intervention of Governor Soludo himself, through the Council's Chairman, for the exercise to be annulled.

The process was restarted on 9 July 2025 under close scrutiny by the Honourable Commissioner for Education, -Ngozi Chuma-Udeh. This time, observers agreed, credibility was restored. For the first time in COOU’s 25-year history, the university was on track to conduct a transparent, rigorous selection process worthy of its mandate.

That optimism peaked on 30–31 July, when seven respected members of the Selection Committee interviewed shortlisted candidates. Their scores were clear:

*Prof. Chike Osegbue (83%)

*Prof. Leonard Onuba (81%)

*Prof. Chukwudi Onyeaghana Okani (78%)

*Prof. Omenugha? She came fifth with 73%, trailing behind.

 *What the Law Says* 

The COOU Law of 2014 is unambiguous. Ordinance II(4)(d) stipulates that the Visitor (the Governor) must appoint the Vice Chancellor from a list of top three candidates recommended by Council, arranged in order of merit. The Council is required not only to recommend these top three but to justify the ranking, with the candidate in first place presented as the institution’s preferred choice.

On August 1, 2025, Pro-Chancellor Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Chairman of Council, formally transmitted the report of this transparent process to Gov Soludo. The Governor himself commended the Council’s rigorous and credible work, describing the process as “transparent and credible.”

Yet, in a stunning twist, the letter signed by Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, announced that the Visitor had appointed Prof. Omenugha, ranked fifth, citing benchmarks entirely alien to the COOU Law.

 *Where Is Justice? Where Is Merit?* 

The question must be asked again: Where is justice? Where is merit? And, where is the enabling Law?

The three candidates who labored through a transparent process were not only qualified but ranked higher by a legally constituted Selection Committee. To disregard them and elevate someone who was not statutorily before the Visitor is not just questionable, it is unlawful.

For a government that proclaims itself as the custodian of light and meritocracy, this action casts doubt on its integrity. What example does this set for the thousands of COOU students who are taught that hard work, fairness, and merit lead to reward? What message is being sent to staff who participated in good faith in the process, only to see their voices sidelined?

 *A Dangerous Precedent* 

This is no trivial matter. Universities are sacred spaces of learning, where meritocracy is the bedrock of advancement. By appointing someone who came fifth, the Anambra government has set a precedent that undermines the institution’s credibility and damages its moral authority.

Already, the appointment has sparked outrage within and even outside the university community. Staff and students alike describe a sense of betrayal, mourning the loss of what had seemed like a golden opportunity to restore the university’s battered image. The COOU Collective has rejected the appointment, calling it a “flagrant abuse” of the law and urging the Visitor to reverse course.

The 2014 Visitation Panel's Report had warned against such manipulations, insisting that “all organs involved in appointing the Vice Chancellor must duly and fully comply with the provisions of the University Statute to confer legitimacy on the chosen candidate.” That advice has now been trampled upon.

 *Political Interference and the Erosion of Trust* 

Critics argue that this imposition reeks of political interference, reducing the university to a pawn in partisan calculations. It drags COOU back a decade in its struggle to build a reputation as a credible center of learning.

The tragedy is that this violation came precisely at the moment when COOU had, for the first time in its 25 years, conducted a process that was transparent, credible, and fair. For once, merit had spoken. But rather than listen, the state government chose to silence it.

When political power disregards institutional autonomy, the very fabric of education is compromised. How can COOU lecturers demand excellence from students when the government itself refuses to honor the principle of merit?

Soludo’s Contradictions

Gov Soludo is no ordinary politician. A former Central Bank Governor and respected academic who has often positioned himself as a reformist leader committed to transparency and justice. Yet, in this case, his government has taken a path that contradicts those very ideals.

How can a government that brands itself as the “Light of the Nation” operate in darkness when it comes to its own university? How can a leader who rose through academic merit sanction an appointment that spits on the very idea of meritocracy?

 The Human Cost

This is not just a bureaucratic squabble. Real people are affected. The morale of the staff who participated in the process has been shattered. Students now wonder whether their degrees carry the weight of an institution that respects the law. Alumni question whether their alma mater can continue to command national and international respect.

By appointing someone who lacks legitimacy in the eyes of the law, the government has weakened the university’s ability to attract serious scholars and global partnerships. In the long run, it is the people of Anambra, and Nigeria at large, who will pay the price.

 A Call for Reversal

The COOU Law is clear. The process was transparent. The merit list was produced. Yet, merit was discarded.

The university community, staff, students, and alumni must resist this imposition, not out of malice toward Prof. Omenugha but out of love for the university and the principles that sustain higher education. To accept this appointment is to normalize illegality, to accept that hard work and integrity no longer matter in Anambra’s premier state university.

The state government must urgently reverse this decision and appoint the top-ranked candidate, in line with the law. Anything less is a betrayal not only of COOU but of the ideals that Anambra claims to uphold.

 *Light or Darkness* ?

This episode forces a painful reckoning. Will Anambra remain the “Light of the Nation,” shining as an example of justice and merit? Or will it sink into the murky waters of political convenience, where rules are bent and institutions hijacked?

In the case of COOU, the path is clear: justice demands that the law be obeyed, and merit must prevail. Anything else is darkness masquerading as light.

The students of COOU deserve better. The staff deserve better. Anambra deserves better.

If the Soludo administration cannot uphold justice in the appointment of a Vice Chancellor, how can it be trusted to uphold justice anywhere else?

The future of education in Anambra hangs in the balance. The question remains: Gov Soludo, where is justice? Where is merit?