EKPOMA – The Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, has been plunged into a fresh wave of administrative instability as a burgeoning rift between the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mrs. Eunice Eboiserehimen Omonzejie, and other principal officers threatens to derail the progress initiated by the Edo State Government.
Despite the efforts of the Distinguished Senator Monday Okpebholo’s administration to stabilize the institution through substantive appointments and massive funding, the university is currently defined by a climate of administrative chaos and internal bickering.
The Spark: Removal of the Bursar
The crisis reached a boiling point on April 6, 2026, when the State Government announced the immediate removal of the University Bursar, Dr. Sadiq Akor, citing “administrative inefficiencies and incompetence.” This move followed a period of palpable tension caused by the non-payment of March salaries before the Easter holidays and the alleged failure to utilize a ₦1 billion lifeline released by the Okpebholo administration to clear salary arrears left by the previous Godwin Obaseki-led government.
However, the removal has been met with significant pushback. There are allegations of a Set-up. Dr. Akor has accused the Vice Chancellor of engineering his removal because he refused to bypass due process in making payments.
Dr. Akor maintains that the Vice Chancellor never gave the necessary approval for the disbursement of the ₦1 billion intervention fund.
“Not making payment for a transaction without approval cannot be attributed to operational lapses,” Akor stated in a submission to the Secretary to the State Government. The embattled Bursar further alleged that his office has been placed under lock and key on the orders of the Vice Chancellor, preventing his staff from resuming their duties.
Legal Firestorm Looming
The fallout has now entered the legal arena. Through his counsel, Yusuf Prosper Musa of Fortress Attorneys, Dr. Akor has served a one-month pre-action notice of legal proceedings on the university.
The notice, titled “RE: UNLAWFUL REMOVAL OF DR. SADIQ OSHOKE AKHOR FROM OFFICE AS BURSAR,” argues that the removal was unconstitutional and violated:
Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (Fair Hearing).
Section 19(1) of the Ambrose Alli University Law, 1999.
The Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1993.
The counsel highlighted that Dr. Akor received no prior query from the Governing Council or the Visitor (the Governor) before the public announcement, rendering the action “patently unlawful.”
A House Divided: The Registrar vs. The Vice Chancellor
The friction is not limited to the Bursary. The Vice Chancellor is also locked in a power struggle with the University Registrar and Secretary to Council, Mrs. Oluwayomi Omolegho Agbebaku.
On April 9, 2026, Prof. Omonzejie issued a query to the Registrar regarding the publication of a vacancy for a Director of Procurement. The Registrar fired back, stating the publication was approved during the 241st regular meeting of the Council on March 17, 2026. In a firm response, Mrs. Agbebaku advised the Vice Chancellor to “embrace peace and focus on moving the University forward together” rather than “witch-hunting.”
A Departure from Stability
The current state of affairs is a stark contrast to the early days of the Okpebholo administration, which had been praised for transitioning the university from ad-hoc management to substantive leadership and injecting funds to settle staggering staff arrears.
Stakeholders, who initially viewed Prof. Omonzejie’s appointment on September 22, 2025, as a step toward harmony, are now expressing shock. Critics describe her leadership style as “uncoordinated” and “highhanded,” with some suggesting her actions undermine the Governing Council in a manner reminiscent of a “sole administrator.”
As the “can of worms” threatened by the removed Bursar looms over the institution, the university community remains on edge, waiting to see if the state government or the Governing Council can restore order to an institution increasingly defined by its internal enmities.