Onoh refutes alleged interference in Abuja Varsity by Education Minister, Alausa

The former southeast spokesman to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of Enugu State House of Assembly, Denge. Josef Onoh has said that it is not true that the Minister for Education interfered in the administration and management of the University of Abuja.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, Onoh said his attention was drawn to a malicious, unsubstantiated, and highly speculative publication alleging that the Honorable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa was desperately lobbying and pressuring the administration of the University of Abuja to appoint a dismissed lecturer, Professor Hamzat Adebayo, into a senior management position. 

Onoh said that the allegations are entirely false, fabricated, and fundamentally misrepresent the statutory boundaries governing university administration and governance in Nigeria.

Onoh speaking from a strict legal standpoint, said that the claims made in the publication demonstrate a profound ignorance of the laws governing federal tertiary institutions. 

Onoh said that under the (Universities Miscellaneous Provisions) Act as amended by the Universities Autonomy Act, federal universities in Nigeria enjoy a high degree of institutional autonomy. 

The power to manage personnel, approve inter-university transfers, employ academic staff, and appoint individuals into top management or principal officer roles is vested exclusively in the Governing Council and Senate of each respective university. 

Onoh said that the Minister of Education does not possess the executive or statutory power to unilaterally deploy, transfer, or insert any academic staff into the payroll or administrative structure of an autonomous institution like the University of Abuja. 

Furthermore, Onoh said the allegation that the Minister facilitated a "quiet transfer" of the said lecturer from the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) to the University of Abuja is legally and operationally impossible. 

Onoh further said that Inter-university transfers in the Nigerian university system follow strict civil service and academic regulations and such processes require an official application by the lecturer, rigorous vetting by the receiving department, approval by the University Senate regarding academic qualifications, and final clearance by the institution's Governing Council based on vacancy and merit. 

Onoh said that his interactions with the Honourable Minister for Education on the subject matter clearly showed that the Ministry of Education has no involvement in these internal academic recruitments. 

Onoh said that the Honorable Minister for Education Dr.Tunji Alausa remains unswervingly committed to the rule of law, due process, and the preservation of meritocracy across Nigeria's tertiary education sector. Since assuming office, the Minister has consistently advocated for the strengthening of institutional governance and has strictly respected the operational independence of university governing boards. 

Onoh said that any insinuation that the Minister is micro-managing staffing decisions or coercing university leadership is a deliberate attempt to defame the Minister and disrupt the peace of the university community.

Onoh urged Media organizations to verify the statutory frameworks of public institutions and cross-check facts before publishing defamatory reports based on anonymous whistleblowers. 

While advising the general public to completely disregard the baseless publication, as the Ministry under President Tinubu and steered by Dr. Tunji Alausa remains fully focused on executing systemic reforms to improve the quality, infrastructure, and standards of education across the country.