Group Accuses Tony Alaribe of Enabling Underdevelopment
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and key stakeholders in Abia State have been urged to wade into the escalating leadership crisis at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), to prevent it from degenerating into massive protests by students and parents.
According to reports, the Governing Council Chairman, Comrade Fidelis Edeh, is being accused of stalling the university’s development through alleged acts of vendetta targeted at the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Maduebibisi Iwe, and his close associates, including Dr. Philips Nto, whose promotion to the rank of professor has reportedly been withheld by the Council Chairman.
In a statement issued in Umuahia on Monday, a pressure group—Abia Democratic Alliance—raised concerns that Edeh’s actions are undermining progress at the institution and pose a potential threat to security and public order.
The statement, signed by the Chairman, Nze Theophilus Nkire, and Secretary, Mazi Kanu Okoroafor, condemned former Deputy Chairman of Ikwuano Local Government Area, Hon. Tony Alaribe, and the Ikwuano League of Professionals for dismissing claims that a crisis exists at MOUAU, describing the denial as “pathetic sycophancy bordering on betrayal.”
The group criticized Alaribe’s assertion that calls for investigation were “fanning the embers of war,” describing his comments as either “ignorance or compromise.”
“It is either that he is aiding the destruction of the university for selfish gains or he has surrendered his conscience to enemies of Abia State,” the group stated.
The Alliance questioned why no Tetfund-funded project has been executed in MOUAU since Edeh assumed office as Council Chairman, contrasting the situation with a nearby Research Institute which, they said, has fully utilized its 2024 capital projects and begun 2025 projects.
Furthermore, the group expressed outrage that a multimillion-naira constituency project attracted to the university by Senator Austin Akobundu has not been executed because the Council Chairman allegedly refused to approve contract awards, a situation they claim mirrors several other delayed projects.
They also accused Edeh of stalling the recruitment of staff despite advertised positions and thousands of applicants, recalling that similar delays in 2024 reportedly blocked the employment of 150 personnel even after approval was granted by the Federal Ministry of Education.
“Majority of those who were to benefit from the employment were Ikwuano indigenes, yet some individuals shamelessly defend the very system oppressing their people,” the group added.
The statement also highlighted the unilateral cancellation of the university’s convocation, warning that such actions pose potential security risks given that parents and graduates had already made arrangements.
The Abia Democratic Alliance called on President Tinubu and Abia stakeholders to urgently intervene and address what it described as a “leadership stalemate” impairing the growth of MOUAU, alleging that Comrade Fidelis Edeh’s leadership style has become destabilizing and counterproductive.