Wukari University Names Brother of Taraba Governor as New VC

The Governing Council of Federal University Wukari has officially designated Prof. Benjamin Kefas, brother of Governor Agbu Kefas, as the institution's new substantive Vice-Chancellor.

Alongside this appointment, the council has selected Dr. Temboge Andrew to serve as the new Librarian of the university.

A statement from Mrs. Agya Ashu, the Acting Director of the University’s information and protocol department, revealed that these appointments were sanctioned during a meeting held at the Secretariat of the Committee of Vice- Chancellors of Nigerian Universities in Abuja on Monday.

According to her, these decisions followed the conclusion of the five-year term of the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jude Sammani Rabo, and the University Librarian, Dr. Isa Sidi Attahir.

Mrs. Ashu also mentioned that the ceremonial handover for the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor will occur at the same venue on Tuesday.

The selection of Prof. Kefas has sparked some controversy, with several individuals from southern Taraba submitting petitions to the Federal Ministry of Education and the National University Commission. They expressed concerns that the appointment process might have been unduly influenced.

However, sources from the Secretariat of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors have refuted these allegations, affirming that the selection process was conducted without any external pressures.

Reports indicate that over thirty individuals applied for the Vice-Chancellor position, with four candidates shortlisted; for the Librarian role, two candidates were considered.

All four candidates chosen for the Vice-Chancellor interview hail from southern Taraba.

The interviews for these crucial roles took place on Monday, leading to the approval of Prof. Kefas as Vice-Chancellor and Dr. Andrew as Librarian on the same day.