After the death of Herbert Wigwe, the citadel of learning he founded, Wigwe University, has been plagued by allegations of mass staff dismissals, intimidation and administrative high-handedness. Daniel Ayantoye writes that while former employees paint a troubling picture of life at the institution, the university strongly disputes the allegations and offers a sharply contrasting account of events

A dream under scrutiny

On August 1, 2025, Dr Nonyelum Okechukwu arrived at Wigwe University in Rivers State expecting the usual ordinary day at the institution, where she had served as university librarian since joining in November 2023.

The woman in her late 50s was instead handed a letter stating that her appointment would be terminated.

“I came to work on August 1, 2025, and they served me a letter saying they were giving me notice to stop working and that my appointment would be terminated on October 30, 2025,” she told our correspondent.

For the university librarian, the decision came as a shock. Okechukwu claimed she was neither invited to appear before a disciplinary panel nor given an opportunity to respond to any allegation against her before being handed the termination letter.

“That is why I believe they couldn’t set up a panel. If I had done anything wrong, they would have constituted a panel. No panel was set up. I simply received the letter.

According to Okechukwu, she subsequently contacted the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who asked her to give the university one week to respond to her complaint.

She said the promised feedback, however, never came.

Okechukwu recalled, “The letter simply said, ‘Thank you for the job,’ and that from this day we no longer require your services.

She added that the development had also created uncertainty about her professional future.

“This means I may not be able to pursue another job because prospective employers will ask why I was sacked,” the librarian lamented.

Dream bigger than a university

Before founding Wigwe University in Isiokpo, Rivers State, the late Herbert Wigwe had built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s foremost bankers and business leaders.

But his ambition stretched beyond the financial sector. Convinced that education could transform Africa’s future, he envisioned a world-class university that would nurture fearless leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs capable of competing on the global stage.

The institution was conceived to blend international standards with African realities while promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, critical thinking and practical problem-solving. Its vision is to unlock Africa’s potential for prosperity by raising thoughtful and fearless leaders.

That vision, however, suffered a devastating blow when Wigwe died in a helicopter crash in the United States on February 9, 2024, months before the university formally opened its doors.

Now, less than two years after his death, the institution he founded has become the subject of allegations of mass staff departures, intimidation and administrative high-handedness, raising questions about how his vision is being managed in his absence.

Okechukwu’s experience forms part of a broader pattern described by former employees and other sources familiar with developments at the institution.

What began as individual complaints over terminated appointments has grown into wider allegations of mass dismissals, administrative high-handedness and unfair labour practices.

Some former employees attribute those developments to the university administration headed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Marwan Al-Akaidi. The university, however, rejects the allegations.

Documents obtained by The PUNCH indicate that about 30 academic and non-academic employees either had their appointments terminated or resigned from the university during the period under review.

Several of the affected workers alleged that they were forced out through intimidation and what they described as an atmosphere of fear.

The records reviewed by The PUNCH indicate a significant number of staff across both academic and non-academic departments have left.

Several former employees alleged that they were dismissed without being accused of misconduct or afforded the opportunity to appear before a disciplinary panel before their appointments were terminated.

‘Dismissed at will’

For Amarachi Ogbennia, what began as a routine administrative appointment at Wigwe University ended abruptly less than a year later.

The woman said she was employed on December 19, 2024, as a college secretary in the College of Engineering.

Ogbennia said she was later directed to temporarily replace an administrative officer attached to the Vice-Chancellor, who had initially proceeded on a three-week leave that was subsequently extended to two months.

According to the woman, her posting to the VC’s office exposed her to what she described as a work environment where employees lived under the constant fear of sudden dismissal.

Ogbennia told The PUNCH that her appointment was eventually terminated without any definite reason being communicated to her.

According to the ex-staff, the incident that preceded the termination occurred after she fell ill at work and requested permission to leave before the official closing time.

“I came to the office sick. I sought permission to leave by 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., but it wasn’t granted. By 4:30 p.m., a senior colleague took me to the hospital in her car. I returned the next morning and was given a sack letter,” she alleged.

Ogbennia said she had been cautioned about the working environment even before assuming duties in the VC’s office.

“The week I resumed in the VC’s office, I was told I wasn’t going to last because everyone who had worked there had either resigned or sacked because of the VC. From what I observed, he dismisses staff at will. Even issues that ordinarily require a query result in dismissal. The environment was very toxic,” she alleged.

Her account mirrors those of other former employees who spoke to Sunday PUNCH about their experiences.

One of them, a lecturer recruited from Zimbabwe, said his aspiration of joining a university inspired by Herbert Wigwe’s vision ended with what he described as an unexplained dismissal and a difficult journey back home.

The lecturer, who requested anonymity for fear of possible repercussions, said he was interviewed in January 2024 while Wigwe was still alive and was attracted by the late banker’s vision of building a Harvard-like university in Africa.

According to him, the original arrangement was for him to relocate to Nigeria with his family. Although that plan was later reviewed, he said the university agreed to sponsor one annual return trip to enable him visit his family in Zimbabwe.

He, however, alleged that the agreement was never fulfilled.

“They asked whether I was willing to relocate with my family to Nigeria, but they later revised the offer, and I couldn’t bring my family. There was an agreement that I would visit them once a year and that the university would provide the ticket. Later, they didn’t honour that agreement, and then my appointment was terminated,” he claimed.

The lecturer further alleged that after his employment ended, he had to source funds to return to Zimbabwe, adding that several emails he sent to the university requesting financial assistance received no response.

He also claimed that the atmosphere within the university changed after Herbert Wigwe’s death, with employees allegedly working under fear and intimidation.

“The problem is the temper and anger of the VC. I have never seen such a thing before.

“I heard a senior staff member say, ‘I never thought I would feel like a slave in my own land.’ It is a serious situation. All this started after Wigwe died. Staff members feel intimidated,” he alleged.

‘Forced to resign over intimidation’

For a former deputy registrar who joined the university in December 2024 and resigned in August 2025, the experience was less about a sudden termination than what he described as a gradual erosion of his dignity and professional autonomy.

The former deputy registrar, who spoke with The PUNCH on condition of anonymity for personal reasons, said he eventually became so frustrated that he resigned.

He alleged, “I was frustrated to the point that I resigned on my own. This man (the VC) poached me from another university under false pretences. But later, things began to unfold. He relegated me to the background, to the point where I felt like a slave.”

According to him, the lecturer’s contract provided that the university would sponsor one annual return trip to enable him to visit his family in Zimbabwe.

He alleged that when the lecturer was due for the trip and requested the ticket, the VC instructed him to prepare a letter terminating the lecturer’s appointment instead.

“At the end of the day, he didn’t get a penny,” the former deputy registrar alleged.

He further claimed that several senior administrative officers left the university during the period and that following the departures, the institution was left without a substantive bursar.

A lecturer in the College of Engineering, Professor Arinola Ajayi, told Sunday PUNCH that he resigned because he was no longer comfortable working at the institution.

“I actually resigned from the university. I was no longer comfortable working in that environment. When I joined, the proprietor was still alive. Afterwards, I no longer felt comfortable there,” he said.

An administrative staff member, who also spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of possible repercussions, alleged that fear had become pervasive among employees.

“There is a whole lot happening in the university now. Everyone is working in fear and intimidation. That is all I can say,” the source said.

Another employee also alleged that senior members of staff whom the VC perceived as threats to his position risked losing their jobs.

“You have to be in his good books. If you are a senior lecturer and he sees you as a threat to his position, you are gone. Either a petition that will lead to your sack or outright dismissal,” the staff member alleged.

Labour laws govern employment disputes

The controversy surrounding the reported dismissals has also brought into focus the legal framework governing employment relationships in Nigeria.

Although Wigwe University is a private institution, its employment practices remain subject to applicable labour laws and the terms and conditions agreed upon between the university and its employees.

Nigeria’s principal legislation governing employment relationships is the Labour Act, Cap. L1, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

It provides a framework for employment contracts and the termination of employment, including notice requirements, subject to the terms of individual contracts and applicable legal exceptions.

Other laws and legal instruments, including the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and statutes governing industrial disputes, also provide protections and legal remedies where employees allege that their rights have been violated.

CSOs demand probe

Against this backdrop, civil society organisations have called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the reported dismissals.

The Chancellor of the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, Omenazu Jackson, said the university’s status as a private institution did not exempt it from complying with Nigeria’s labour laws.

Jackson called for a thorough inquiry to establish the circumstances surrounding the dismissals and determine whether the affected employees had committed any misconduct warranting such action.

He said, “It is a private institution, but it operates within the educational framework of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If there is an industrial dispute, the wisest thing to do is to take it to court because, whether it is a private university or not, the industrial rights of citizens must be protected.

“We are calling for a thorough inquiry to determine the reason for the dismissals and what institutional offences, if any, the affected workers committed, so that people do not take the law into their own hands. You cannot, simply because you are running a private institution, begin to violate the social and industrial rights of citizens.”

He added that both employers and employees had rights that must be exercised within the framework of the law.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Rivers State Civil Society Organisations, Enefa Georgewill, said all employers were bound by the country’s labour laws.

He said, “There are rights of the employee and rights of the employer. The two should meet and agree within the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“There are labour laws governing employment relationships. Any university or organisation that employs people must comply with those laws. If the allegation against Wigwe University is that workers were dismissed without due process, it should be investigated.”

The President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Debo Adeniran, also said every employee’s conditions of service should govern the employment relationship.

“Wigwe University is a private university, but every staff member has conditions of service clearly stated in the letter of appointment. As a private university, there is entrepreneurial freedom in employment. There are also labour laws that regulate how employees are hired and dismissed,” he said.

Adeniran said employees who believed their rights had been violated could seek legal redress through the courts to determine whether the university acted within the law.

He, however, noted that the financial realities confronting a private university could influence management decisions, particularly following the death of its founder.

“Usually, when the proprietor of such a university dies, funding may no longer be as smooth as it used to be. There are many factors the Vice-Chancellor may have considered before taking such decisions. Patronage may also have declined over time. If revenue is no longer sufficient, the institution may have to take difficult decisions to survive,” he said.

Legal experts demand due process

Speaking on the matter, a former Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr Monday Ubani, SAN, said a university could not be run like a secondary school.

“An individual cannot be running a university like a secondary school. The university system has established structures, and they are well regulated under Nigerian law,” he said.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said it was important to establish whether the decisions to terminate the employees’ appointments were taken by the university’s Governing Council or whether responsibility had been wrongly attributed to the Vice-Chancellor.

He said, “It is important to ascertain whether it is the Governing Council taking these decisions and they are merely being attributed to the Vice-Chancellor. There are laws that regulate labour matters and protect fundamental human rights. If there are any violations whatsoever, those affected are entitled to seek legal redress.”

Also speaking, a human rights lawyer, Tolu Babaleye, said the legality of the reported dismissals would ultimately depend on the terms of the employees’ appointments and their employment status.

He added that the nature of an employee’s appointment could be crucial in determining the legal remedies available.

Babaleye said, “It depends on the agreement the university has with the employees. Labour unions are generally not allowed to operate in private universities. If there is no union, workers may be more vulnerable to dismissal.

I didn’t sack anybody’

Responding to the allegations, the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer of Wigwe University, Professor Marwan Al-Akaidi, denied personally terminating the appointments of any staff member.

He maintained that the university had established procedures for disciplinary matters and that no employee could be dismissed solely at his discretion.

The VC also said the institution maintained high standards and expected staff members to demonstrate commitment and diligence.

Al-Akaidi said the university remained focused on realising the vision of its late founder, Herbert Wigwe, of building one of Africa’s leading universities.

He said, “I didn’t sack anybody. There is a procedure we follow in the university. I have no right to sack anybody. There is a procedure for dismissing people. People can say what they like. I am a vice-chancellor; I don’t sack people. We haven’t sacked anybody, to be honest.

“There is no place for lazy people here. We are committed to maintaining a high standard. If people do not have a mentality of hard work, they would not have a place with us.”

Speaking further, he said, “There is a difference between dismissing people and people resigning or failing to do their job. Dismissing people involves a long procedure. There is a disciplinary process, the Governing Council has to consider it, and we have to constitute a high-level committee. We don’t just sack people.

“My team and I are working to fulfil the vision of the late Herbert Wigwe to built the best university in Africa, and we are working very hard to achieve that goal.” (Saturday PUNCH)

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