Nigeria’s Ministry of Education has summoned the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Owerri over appointment of 24 aides in his office, alleging breach of due process.
The Ministry, in a letter leaked to newsmen on Thursday, ordered the immediate withdrawal of the appointments and also summoned the Vice-Chancellor to Abuja for an urgent meeting with officials of the Ministry on June 29.
The letter, dated June 25, 2026, and signed by the Acting Director of University Education, Dr. Kareem O. L, faulted the appointments and directed the Vice-Chancellor to reverse them “forthwith” and provide evidence of compliance without delay.
According to the document, discussions at the meeting with the VC will extend beyond the controversial appointments to cover wider concerns relating to institutional governance, administrative accountability, due process, and compliance with the regulatory framework guiding federal universities.
Kareem noted that the letter was signed on behalf of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, describing the appointments as irregular and inconsistent with regulations governing Nigeria’s federal universities.
The directive followed the Ministry’s review of an internal university memorandum dated June 22, 2026, through which the appointments were reportedly made.
The ministry stated in the leaked letter that after carefully examining the appointments and the circumstances surrounding them, the Minister observed that they were “at variance with the extant regulations, established procedures, and the principles of due process governing appointments within the Federal University System.”
It therefore ordered the immediate withdrawal of the appointments and demanded documentary proof that the directive had been implemented.
The move is however an unusually strong intervention by the Federal Government in the administration of one of the country’s foremost technology universities and raises fresh questions about governance practices within federal tertiary institutions.
The summons suggests that the Ministry may be scrutinising broader administrative decisions within the institution amid growing concerns over adherence to established procedures.
“The Ministry remains committed to promoting transparency, prudence and best practices in the management of our tertiary institutions,” the letter stated, while expressing confidence that the university would comply with the directive.
A copy of the communication was also forwarded to the National Universities Commission, NUC, a move observers say underscores the seriousness of the matter and the potential implications for university governance.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the management of FUTO nor officials of the Federal Ministry of Education had publicly commented on the leaked directive.
