The management of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), has attributed the disengagement of 192 workers to a breach of the Federal Government’s approved recruitment quota, insisting that the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ursula Akanwa, played no role in the exercise.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, the university’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Anyaso Anyaso, said the Federal Government granted a waiver approving the recruitment of 426 staff members, a figure subsequently ratified by the institution’s Governing Council.
According to Anyaso, the directive required the university’s then management to adhere strictly to the approved recruitment quota.
“The crux of the matter is that the Federal Government gave a waiver for the recruitment of 426 staff, a figure which the Governing Council also approved and directed the then Vice-Chancellor/Management to strictly adhere to in conducting the employment exercise,” Anyaso said.
He explained that, despite the approved quota, appointment letters were issued to 618 individuals, while 553 names were uploaded onto the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
However, he noted that only the 426 candidates approved by both the Federal Government and the Governing Council were eventually captured on the government’s payroll.
“Suffice it to state here that the Vice-Chancellor has no access to the GIFMIS platform to either remove or change any name uploaded,” he added.
Anyaso said Prof. Akanwa assumed office on 1 March 2026, after the recruitment exercise and payroll capture process had already been completed.
He urged members of the public to disregard what he described as misinformation surrounding the exercise and instead rely on official communication from the university.
The university spokesperson also dismissed reports alleging that identity cards were forcibly retrieved from the affected workers.
“MOUAU did not issue sack letters and did not use force to obtain their ID cards,” he said.
The university maintained that appointments made beyond the 426 positions approved by the Federal Government were responsible for the affected workers’ inability to be retained on the GIFMIS payroll system.
