By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has dismissed as false the story of the involvement of the acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Carol Umobi, in project mismanagement

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Vice Chancellor on Information and Public relations, Dr Emmanuel C. Ojukwu stated that there have been erroneous information in the media, claiming that Umobi was invited because of poor project management.

Recall that the House of Representatives Committee on tertiary education had during their visit to the institution on Tuesday, invited Umobi to the national assembly to explain some of the institution’s projects.

The statement read: “For the avoidance of doubt the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education visited the university on Tuesday, August 13, 2025, and the Chairman clearly stated that some of the documents submitted to the committee were not satisfactory.

“The committee therefore adjourned its sitting and invited the University Acting Vice Chancellor and related officers to the National Assembly for more explanations and further interactions.”

According to Ojukwu, the projects being investigated by the lawmakers had nothing to do with the acting Vice Chancellor who was only appointed a month ago and has decided that since she had only six months to stay, would not embark on capital projects yet.

He added: “It must be clearly noted that these projects and data were ongoing projects initiated in 2023 and earlier. The current acting Vice Chancellor Professor Carol Arinze Umobi was appointed by the Governing Council on July 22nd 2024.

"She has not initiated any new projects and is in no hurry to do so because she has a short tenure of six months to stay preparatory to the Governing Council’s appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor.

“Even though the data and the projects for which she has been invited to the National Assembly were inherited from the previous administration, the current acting Vice Chancellor will honour the invitation of the Committee on Tertiary Education in the interest of the University.

"The acting vice chancellor commends the lawmakers for their visit and pledges total cooperation to the lawmakers to strengthen quality governance in the nation’s tertiary institutions."

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