FG orders FUTO VC to cancel aides’ appointments
By Uji A Iliyasu Abuja
The Federal Government has intervened in the administration of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), directing the institution’s Vice Chancellor to immediately withdraw the appointments of 24 aides in his office over alleged violations of established procedures.
A confidential letter dated 25 June 2026, obtained by our correspondent, shows that the Federal Ministry of Education faulted the appointments and ordered the Vice Chancellor to reverse them “forthwith,” demanding documentary evidence of compliance without delay.
The letter, signed by the Acting Director of University Education, Dr. Kareem O. L., on behalf of the Minister of Education, described 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 22 June 2026, through which the appointments were reportedly made.
Upon examination, the Minister found the appointments to be “at variance with the extant regulations, established procedures, and the principles of due process governing appointments within the Federal University System.”
Beyond the order to cancel the appointments, the letter also summoned the Vice Chancellor to Abuja for an urgent meeting with Ministry officials on 29 June. The discussions are expected to extend beyond the disputed appointments to encompass broader concerns relating to institutional governance, administrative accountability, due process, and compliance with the regulatory framework guiding federal universities, a signal that the Ministry may be scrutinising wider administrative decisions within the institution.
“The Ministry remains committed to promoting transparency, prudence and best practices in the management of our tertiary institutions,” the letter stated, expressing confidence that the university would comply with the directive.
A copy of the correspondence was forwarded to the National Universities Commission (NUC), a move observers say underscores the gravity of the matter and its potential implications for university governance nationwide.
The development represents an unusually firm intervention by the Federal Government in the affairs of one of the country’s foremost technology universities and raises fresh questions about governance practices within federal tertiary institutions.
As of the time of filing this report, neither FUTO’s management nor officials of the Federal Ministry of Education had publicly commented on the leaked directive.
The revelation is expected to ignite debate within academic circles, with stakeholders closely watching the outcome of the scheduled meeting between the Vice Chancellor and the Ministry, as well as its broader implications for accountability and administrative discretion across Nigeria’s federal university system.