By CHARLES IWUOHA

Crisis is brewing at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Ebonyi State, following the emergence of two Provosts at the college; Dr. Jonah Nwawuisi and Professor Agwu Ekwe.

Nwawuisi was appointed Acting Provost of the college last year while Ekwe was appointed substantive Provost on the 10th of this month.

Joint Union Action (JUA) of the college and Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA), both of which rejected the appointment of Agwu as the substantive Provost by the Federal Government, locked the school gate and the Provost’s Office on Monday over the leadership crisis.

The unions protested round the college, paralysing academic activities and causing tension in the school.

Dr. ThankGod Nwaneri, Chairman of Joint Union Action of the institution, said the two Provosts gave him instructions which he abandoned because he was confused on the one to obey.

His words: "Before now, we have an Acting Provost in the person of Dr. Jonah Nwawuisi. And I may say this is an illegal appointment that was done on the 10th of April, 2026 when they said they appointed one Professor Agwu Ekwe.

"As a matter of fact, we do not know the actual Provost for now because yesterday, two different persons gave me instructions as Provosts and I abandoned the instructions because I don't know the one to follow.

"The issue on ground is we have qualified persons who applied for the position and since after the submission of their applications credentials, they have not been invited for interviews either oral or written till today.

"So, how come they appointed somebody without following due process and that due process is the issue. We are not against whoever they appointed but they should follow the due process.

"We have qualified persons here for the position of Provost of the college. If we continue to encourage University Professors coming into colleges of Agriculture, it is actually going to reduce institutions like colleges to brain drains. People will begin to leave because you can't get to the peak, that is the issue.

"Academic activities supposed to be going on in the college but the issue on ground has affected the system already. In the morning, we actually locked up the gate but we decided to open it in the afternoon. So, what is on ground now is affecting the system already.

"Recently, we concluded a struggle involving the punitive transfer of the College Registrar, the Procurement Officer, and the former Director of Works to Kwara, Kaduna and Benin respectfully under the directive of the Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria.

"These actions were taken without clear justification. They appear arbitrary, targeted and widely regarded as unacceptable. This raises serious concerns about fairness, Administrative propriety, and respect for institutional due process.

"More troubling is the clear breach of due process in the appointment of Professor Agwu Ekwe as the substantive Provost of this College.

"It is in record that in June 2025, the Governing council advertised vacancies for the position of Chief Executive Officer and Provost across seven Colleges of Agriculture. Qualified candidates applied and have since been awaiting invitations for written examination and oral interviews.

"However, in a shocking development on 10th April, 2026, Ishiagu was singled out and a substantive Provost was appointed. This action bypassed the established procedure and disregarded other applicants and participating institutions. It is irregular and represents a direct affront to fairness, transparency, and the rule of law."

Nwaneri called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene into the crisis, reverse the appointment of a University Professor as Provost of the College and appoint someone from College of Agriculture for the position.

On his part, National President of Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture, Dr. Kadurumba Chukwuemeka, said the union also rejects the appointment of a University Professor as Provost of the college, describing it as unacceptable, unjustifiable, and a clear violation of established procedures and principles guiding college administration.

He demanded immediate withdrawal of the appointment, commencement of a transparent and credible selection process for all the seven colleges affected, conclusion of appointment of substantive Provosts in the seven colleges within 14 days, immediate release of the revised scheme and conditions of service for Colleges of Agriculture to address long-standing structural issues among others.

Chukwuemeka warned that failure to address the issues within the 14 days ultimatum will lead to the resumption of the previously suspended strike with protest done in all the zones during the strike.

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