Concerned Citizen Urges ABSU VC to Lift Suspension Of Prof. Nnamdi Nwaeze, Cites Due Process

Calls For Immediate Recall, Warns Against “Backdoor” Justification

UTURU, Abia State – A concerned citizen and advocate for good governance, Mr. Samuel Okenyi, has called on the Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu, ABSU, to immediately lift the suspension of Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze and restore him to his official duties.

In a letter dated September 4, 2026, addressed to the Vice-Chancellor through the Registrar, Okenyi said the continued suspension of the Professor of Economics has raised serious concerns about procedural fairness, institutional credibility and academic freedom at the university.

Okenyi argued that if investigations have not established any misconduct against Prof. Nwaeze, then there is no basis to keep him on suspension.

“If, after those proceedings, no established case of misconduct or other disciplinary infraction has been sustained against Professor Nwaeze, then there is no principled justification for keeping him under indefinite suspension,” the letter stated.

He warned the university against seeking “alternative grounds upon which to sustain an action that has already attracted legitimate public scrutiny,” describing it as using “the backdoor to justify or preserve an administrative decision whose original foundation has become unsustainable.”

“An institution demonstrates maturity not by defending every decision, but by acknowledging error and correcting course,” he added.

The petitioner invoked Sections 36 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, on right to fair hearing and freedom of expression, stressing that university employment does not strip an academic of citizenship rights.

He also cited the principle of audi alteram partem, insisting that any disciplinary action must be founded on “identifiable regulations, credible evidence and due process,” with clear particulars of alleged offences.

“The University must guard against any perception that its disciplinary machinery is being influenced by partisan political considerations. ABSU belongs to the academic community and to the people of Abia State; it is not the private property of any political administration,” Okenyi said.

Okenyi urged the ABSU management to:

1. Immediately lift the suspension imposed on Prof. Nwaeze;

2. Recall him to his official position without further delay;

3. Bring the matter to a definitive conclusion where investigations have failed to establish misconduct;

4. Refrain from introducing new allegations merely to sustain the earlier decision; and

5. Ensure future disciplinary actions follow due process.

He concluded that correcting an administrative error “does not diminish authority” but rather reaffirms the university’s commitment to justice, academic freedom and institutional independence.

As of press time, ABSU management is yet to officially respond to the appeal.