A Call to Defend the Integrity of Ambrose Alli University:
Exposing the Complicity of Professor Azeke Marshall, the Obaseki Administration, and the Failed Governing Council
By Momodu Saturday
Solomon Island
It is both shocking and deeply disappointing that the management of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), under the leadership of Professor Sunday Samuel Olowo (Acting Vice Chancellor) and the University’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, has chosen a posture of silence in the face of the reckless and damaging allegations recently made abroad by former Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The former Governor alleged that AAU is plagued by cultism and even claimed that degrees are awarded to individuals who never attended the University—some allegedly “residing abroad” while obtaining certificates. Such statements are not only false but amount to a direct assault on the institutional credibility of Ambrose Alli University. They constitute an insult to its students, alumni, lecturers, and staff, all of whom have labored diligently to sustain its legacy of excellence.
It is on record that even Mr. Obaseki’s own Special Intervention Team (SIT) could not substantiate these spurious claims when they were subjected to an investigation by a University-constituted panel.
To make matters worse, during the last gubernatorial election in Edo State, it was widely alleged that the former Governing Council Chairman, Dr. Odafen, in collaboration with Professor Azeke, Professor Olowo Samuel, Igene and some other academic staff, participated in the diversion of large sums of money (“Ghana-must-go” millions) for the campaign of the PDP candidate, Barrister Asue Ighodalo. These same individuals now seek to continue their hold on AAU, boasting that they would replicate, in Ekpoma, the very worst of the infamous SIT era. If allowed, that will mean nothing less than the complete destruction of the University. Today, under their influence, critical academic programs—including Medicine and Law—are in a state of near-comatose.
The Era of Complicity: Professor Azeke Marshall and the SIT
Mr. Obaseki established the SIT and, under his directive, appointed Professor Azeke Marshall—a biochemist—as Director of ICT of AAU, Ekpoma, and later as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic). His tenure coincided with widespread allegations of corruption, moral decay, and examination malpractice through organized exam leakages.
During this same SIT era, one Mr. Richard Oboibafo was alleged to have diverted huge sums of University funds. Yet the matter was swept under the carpet despite being clearly highlighted in the Visitation Panel Report. Till date, the Obaseki administration has deliberately refused to release the White Paper on that report because it indicted his allies, including former Vice Chancellor Professor Ignatius Onimawo, Professor Azeke Marshall, and others.
Silence is Complicity
The failure of the University’s current management and its image-makers to respond to these grave allegations amounts to tacit complicity. Silence, in this context, is not diplomacy; it is dereliction of duty. Worse still, it lends credence to falsehoods, thereby dragging the name of Ambrose Alli University into disrepute.
A University that cannot defend its integrity risks losing both public trust and its relevance in the comity of higher institutions. If the present administration at AAU is unwilling or unable to defend the institution against malicious attacks, then it has abdicated its most fundamental responsibility. AAU deserves courageous leaders, not passive caretakers.
Obaseki’s Legacy of Rot
The rot which Mr. Obaseki now laments was in fact aggravated under his own administration. He deliberately underfunded the University, crippled its operations, and empowered the infamous SIT, which mismanaged and diverted its resources.
As a direct consequence, staff salaries remain unpaid, with arrears ranging from fifteen (15) to four (4) months. This is not only a gross violation of financial management principles but also a breach of workers’ rights under Nigerian labour law.
It must be remembered that AAU once ranked among the top ten universities in Nigeria. Cultism was reduced to near-zero levels through firm policies, discipline, and collective effort. Yet Obaseki’s leadership reversed these gains while ignoring competent staff who could have steered the institution in the right direction.
It is therefore sheer hypocrisy for the same man who inflicted such hardship on AAU to now pontificate about “miracles” in its survival. History will not absolve him, and divine judgment awaits for the pain inflicted upon students, staff, and the people of Edo State.
The Wider Destruction of Education
Obaseki’s destructive policies were not limited to AAU. He shut down the College of Education, Igueben, and the Colleges of Agriculture, while crippling other state-owned institutions. He reduced teachers in primary and secondary schools to near-slavery wages of ₦27,000 per month, even as he outsourced ministries to consultants and political cronies at exorbitant costs to Edo taxpayers.
Meanwhile, he continues globe-trotting, enjoying privileges funded by public revenue, while Edo people suffer the consequences of his failed agenda.
The Failure of the Current Acting Vice Chancellor
It is both ironic and regrettable that the current Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Olowo Samuel—himself a product of Obaseki’s appointment—has failed to summon the courage to defend AAU against these malicious attacks. By his silence, he betrays the very institution he was entrusted to protect.
The Way Forward
Your Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, the time has come to appoint a credible crisis manager with competence, integrity, and the courage to lead Ambrose Alli University out of this quagmire. The University urgently requires leadership that will:
Defend its honour and credibility,
Rebuild its academic and financial reputation, and
Restore the confidence of students, staff, and the public.
In line with NUC regulations, the tenure of the former Vice Chancellor expired on September 1, 2025. The six-month extension granted thereafter has lapsed, and the office has now exceeded one year without a substantive or lawfully renewed appointment. This administrative vacuum constitutes a breach of regulatory and governance norms.
Furthermore, it is evident that the Governing Council of AAU has failed woefully in its duties. Prominent Edo citizens and stakeholders nationwide have rightly condemned its ineffectiveness. It is therefore imperative, Your Excellency, that you dissolve this failed Council and reconstitute a competent one capable of reviving the University.
A Final Charge
Your Excellency must seek the face of God and recognize that both your name and legacy are at stake. To preserve the integrity of Ambrose Alli University and safeguard the credibility of your administration, decisive action is required.
The immediate appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor—or at the very least, a competent Acting Vice Chancellor with a clear mandate—is no longer optional. It is a duty owed to AAU, Edo people, and posterity.
Your Excellency must also answer this urgent question: Why did the Dan Orbih-led Council arrange and recommend a partisan list of PDP-aligned Professors to you for appointment as Vice Chancellor? Why is there delay in the implementation of your directive to cancel that compromised process? Already, the University Unions have written to the Council Chairman demanding that the entire process leading to the appointment of Principal Officers be nullified.
Chief Dan Orbih cannot midwife the selection process again. The Council has lost legitimacy. It must be dissolved immediately—just as the Federal Government has done in nine (9) Federal institutions this year.
The time to act is now. Posterity will judge you, Your Excellency, not by words but by the courage you summon in this defining moment.
Mail: Standardpressinsight@gmail.com
