The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has assured that the Federal Government will take just and appropriate action following the submission of a fact-finding committee report on the appointment of Professor Stella Ngozi Lemchi as the substantive Vice-Chancellor of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education (AIFUE), Owerri, Imo State.

 

This was made known in a statement issued on Tuesday by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo.

 

Receiving the committee’s report, Dr. Alausa commended the panel for its objectivity and timely delivery, adding that the ministry would act in a manner that upholds justice and serves the best interest of the university community and the broader Nigerian education sector.

 

The five-member committee, which was inaugurated on June 26, 2025, was mandated to review the selection process that led to Professor Lemchi’s appointment, investigate the legitimacy of petitions against her, and advise the ministry accordingly.

 

According to the statement, the committee confirmed that due process was duly followed in Lemchi’s appointment, affirming that she emerged as the highest-scoring candidate among all contenders.

 

“Her Professorship was confirmed to be valid, and the petitions against her were found to be misleading, biased, and without merit—a position strongly supported by the four staff unions within the university,” the report stated.

 

It further explained that the ministry’s earlier decision to appoint an Acting Vice-Chancellor had been a precautionary measure, prompted by the volume of petitions received, which, upon thorough review, lacked factual substance.

 

Consequently, the committee unanimously recommended that Professor Stella Ngozi Lemchi be reinstated as the substantive Vice-Chancellor of AIFUE, in line with the principles of fairness and institutional integrity.

 

The minister reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Education’s commitment to transparency, the rule of law, and the protection of due process in leadership appointments across Nigeria’s tertiary education system.