By Osamudiamen Oziegbe
The article by Saintmoses Eromosele passionately defends the Vice Chancellor and calls on the Pro-Chancellor to "leave our VC alone." While everyone is entitled to an opinion, the central issue before Ambrose Alli University is not about personalities, regional identity or gender. It is about governance.
No reasonable person opposes digital transformation. Universities across the world are embracing technology to improve efficiency, accountability and service delivery. Therefore, the debate is not whether AAU should modernize its ICT infrastructure. The real question is whether the process leading to the SchoolTry Memorandum of Understanding complied with the university's established governance procedures.
The decision of the Governing Council to publicly distance itself from the MOU cannot simply be dismissed as intimidation. If the Council—the university's highest governing body—states that it neither authorized nor approved a major agreement, that raises legitimate governance questions that deserve objective answers, not emotional response.
The referred article argues that management merely ensured continuity after the previous portal contract expired. Even if that were correct, continuity of service does not automatically dispense with the need for appropriate approvals where such approvals are required by university regulations. Administrative convenience cannot substitute for due process.
Similarly, claims that the new platform reduces costs, improves revenue retention, expands services, and frees the university from dependence on a previous vendor may eventually prove correct. However, these are assertions that require evidence. They cannot, on their own, answer the question of whether the agreement was properly authorized.
More importantly, the author pays little attention to the reported operational concerns surrounding the transition. Allegations of disruptions to academic activities, difficulties with fee payments and risks to institutional data—if accurate—are serious matters. They deserve technical assessment rather than being overshadowed by appeals to loyalty or solidarity.
The attempt to frame the issue as one involving Esan identity, regional politics or the dignity of women in leadership is also unhelpful. Good governance is not determined by ethnicity, geography or gender. The same standards of accountability should apply irrespective of who occupies the office of Vice Chancellor.
Defending institutional due process is not equivalent to opposing reform. In fact, sustainable reform depends on strong governance. A reform introduced without proper authorization may expose the institution to legal disputes, financial liabilities and avoidable administrative uncertainty, regardless of its intended benefits.
Equally, criticism of an administrative decision should not be interpreted as hostility toward the Vice Chancellor. Accountability and leadership are complementary, not contradictory. A Vice Chancellor is expected to exercise authority within the framework established by law and governing councils are expected to provide oversight. Neither function should be viewed as a personal affront to the other.
At this stage, the university community deserves facts rather than rhetoric. If the MOU complied with all applicable statutory and administrative requirements, the relevant records should demonstrate that clearly. If there were procedural deficiencies, those should be addressed through the university's established governance mechanisms. Either outcome strengthens the institution.
Ultimately, Ambrose Alli University will not regain public confidence through emotional appeals or local political narratives. It will do so through transparency, adherence to due process, respect for institutional roles and decisions guided by evidence rather than sentiment. Those principles protect not only the Governing Council or the Vice Chancellor, but the integrity and future of the university itself, which
Saintmoses Eromosele claims to cherish.
*Osamudiamen John Oziegbe PHD is an Alumnus of AAU, EKPOMA based in Canada
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