Prof. Chijioke appointed Vice Chancellor, Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education
A new acting Vice Chancellor has been appointed for the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State.
He is Professor Onyeka Aloysius Chijioke, who was, before his appointment, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University (KOMU), Ideato, Imo State.
A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, Abuja, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, on Thursday, February 6, 2025, said that the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, approved the appointment of Prof. Chijioke and that the appointment which will last for a maximum period of six months takes effect from February 10, 2025.
Earlier in the week, President Bola Tinubu had overhauled the leaderships of some federal universities including the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education. In the overhaul, the erstwhile Pro Chancellor of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Senator Joy Emordi had been moved to the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State as Pro Chancellor.
Before then, the Emordi-led Governing Council of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education had announced the appointment of Prof. Stella Ngozi Lemchi as substantive Vice Chancellor of the institution, a development that elicited acclaim from some quarters and disapproval from some others who felt that the process leading to the appointment was flawed.
The appointment of Prof. Chijioke as acting Vice Chancellor with a mandate, “to facilitate the process for the emergence of a substantive Vice Chancellor before the expiration of his tenure,” seems to have set aside the process that resulted in the appointment of Prof. Lemchi, who was before her appointment as substantive Vice Chancellor, the acting Vice Chancellor of the University.
Prof. Chijioke, who hails from Okporo in Orlu LGA, Imo State, and has a PhD (Statistics) from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria (1994), will, however, according to the statement by Boriowo, not be eligible to apply for the Vice Chancellor position of Alvan Ikoku University of Education when it is advertised.
The statement also said that the Education Minister extends his congratulations to the newly appointed acting Vice Chancellor and looks forward to a smooth transition in the University’s leadership.
