By CHARLES IWUOHA

A foundation member of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for sacking the controversial Governing Council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka (UNIZIK).

Okechukwu, who is the immediate past Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), gave the commendation in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen in Enugu on Thursday.

He also lauded the President for nullifying the unprecedented and illegal imposition of an Associate Professor, Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, as the new Vice Chancellor, and Mrs. Rosemary Nwokike as the Registrar of the institution.

Okechukwu said that he was commending President Tinubu for halting the culture of impunity which had characterized most appointments from the South-East geopolitical zone.

He appealed to the President to watch out for such sordid impunity each time he requests for names from South-East, “as our leaders are wont (having an established culture) to nominate puppets.”

Okechukwu maintained that the low votes recorded in the South-East geopolitical zone in past elections were mainly consequent upon of lack of due diligence and the inordinate penchant for reckless nomination.

“President Tinubu should kindly take note as we approach the 2027 presidential election that it seems our leaders are afraid to forward their first eleven.

“And if such sordid scenario continues, Mr President don’t expect vote mobilisers in your ranks from the South-East geopolitical zone,” Okechukwu said.

It could be recalled that the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, announced the dissolution of the council and sack of the new appointees, in a statement on Wednesday.

Onanuga explained that the sacking of the entire members of the Governing Council, followed reports that they subverted due process in the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the 23-year old university.