Confusion has heightened at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Ebonyi State, over the school’s provostship.

There has been confusion and tension in the college since last month, following the appointment of Professor Agwu Ekwe Agwu as the substantive provost.

Agwu was appointed substantive provost on April 10, 2026, to take over from Dr Jonah Nwawuisi, who had been serving in an acting capacity since last year.

The Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) and the Joint Action Union (JAU) of the college rejected Agwu’s appointment and prevented him from taking over from Nwawuisi as substantive provost, citing non-adherence to due process in the appointment and his lack of an agricultural college background.

However, Agwu returned to the college the following day amid tight security and took control of the institution after security agencies unlocked the gates to the college and the provost’s office.

Agwu has remained the provost of the college since the melodrama last month.

But tension and confusion have heightened in the school following the appointment of Professor Ifeanyichukwu Iroha as the new provost of the college and the withdrawal of Professor Agwu Ekwe’s appointment.

The letter withdrawing the appointment was signed by Dr Abubakar Dabban, Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), and dated May 11, 2026.

The withdrawal letter reads in part: “Sequel to the Council’s appointment letter to you as Provost of Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu vide a letter with ref: ARCN/11/01/S 2/11/116 of April 10, 2026, in line with the approval of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, (GCFR).

“This is to inform you of the withdrawal of your appointment letter with immediate effect. This letter supersedes all the previous letters issued to you by the council.”

Iroha had confirmed his appointment as the new provost of the college in an interview with journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.

Agwu hails from Ohaozara Local Government Area in the state, while Iroha hails from Ivo Local Government Area, also in the state.

Both Agwu and Iroha are from university backgrounds. Agwu was appointed from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), while Iroha was appointed from Ebonyi State University (EBSU).

The National President of the Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture, Dr Chukwuemeka Kadurumba, however, told Daily Sun on the same Tuesday that Iroha’s appointment had also been cancelled, with Ekwe recalled as the provost.

“Leave those people! They have been removing and appointing Provosts in the college.

“Last weekend, they changed Provost of the college three times. The person we saw last as the Provost of the school on Monday evening was Professor Agwu Ekwe Agwu.

“They have removed Professor Iroha, he was removed the same afternoon he was appointed the Provost. He didn’t even get to his house that day he was appointed before he was removed,” Kadurumba said. (Daily Sun)

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