By Sumaila Ogbaje

The management of Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN), says the recent appointment of Prof. Christopher Ogbogbo as substantive Vice Chancellor of the institution is in line with its rules and procedure.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Registrar and Secretary to ADUN Council, retired Commodore Isaac Mankilik (PhD), and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mankilik said the clarification had become necessary following what he described as “a wave of inaccurate and misleading online and tabloid publications”.

He said that the publications were orchestrated by vested interests seeking to sow discord and pose an impediment as a clog to ADUN’s wheel of progress.

According to him, the appointment of Ogbogbo has been officially communicated by the Registrar and Secretary to Council during the Council meeting held on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and Friday, Feb 28.

The registrar said that the council’s decision was made in strict adherence to the portions of the Admiralty University of Nigeria Establishment Act 2022 – First Schedule 4 (1) (h) (2) and 38.

He said the council selected Prof. Ogbogbo from the three candidates recommended by the Joint Selection Board, as mandated by Section 4(1) subsections 5 and 6 of the ADUN Act 2022.

According to him, the Act does not require the Council to select the candidate with the highest score from the recommended candidates.

“The general public is requested to note that the final process in picking a Vice Chancellor is by selection and not based on marks awarded by the Joint Selection Board.

“For the avoidance of doubt, what is important is the candidate to be selected must be any one of the three recommended by the Joint Selection Board.

“On the last day of the council meeting on Feb. 28, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Rear Adm. MM Abdullahi, a member of Council was nominated as Acting Chairman due to the absence of the chairman,” he said.

The registrar said that the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, had approved the declassification of the Council report from the 2nd extraordinary Council meeting for release to the general public.

According to him, it is fundamental to note that the final report has been discussed, ratified and indeed adopted by the House before it was signed by 13 out of 15 council members.

“The full report of the council’s 2nd Extraordinary meeting, outlining the procedure and decision, is consequently attached to this release,” he added. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams