The Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Simon Ortuanya, has come under fresh pressure to resign following allegations that he tampered with the academic records of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji.
Nnaji had earlier accused Ortuanya of altering his university documents at the height of a controversy over alleged falsification of his UNN degree certificate.
The former minister maintained that he had already been cleared by the university registrar, who is the statutory custodian of academic records.
At a press conference in Enugu, the Joint Civil Society Front (JCSF) revealed that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has constituted a panel of inquiry to investigate the scandal.
The group insisted that Ortuanya must step down, just as Nnaji resigned his ministerial position, to allow for a fair and unfettered investigation.
Coordinator of JCSF, Vincent Ani, accused the vice chancellor of bypassing the registrar and personally releasing Nnaji’s records, claiming the former minister did not graduate from UNN.
“This action bypassed the Registrar, the statutory custodian of academic records. This singular action is a strong sign of institutional malaise and a politically motivated bias with an undertone geared towards maligning the person of Chief Uche Nnaji,” Ani said.
Integrity of UNN at Stake
The group commended the Education Minister for setting up the investigative panel but stressed that impartiality requires suspension of any official under probe.
“This will prevent interference, intimidation, destruction of evidence, or manipulation of records by the persons being investigated. The Joint Civil Society Front hereby demands that Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya be suspended while the panel conducts its assignment,” the statement read.
JCSF warned that the scandal threatens the reputation of UNN, describing it as a dangerous precedent.
They pointed to the abrupt shift in the university’s position in 2023 on whether Nnaji graduated, and the unexplained disappearance of records in 2025, as evidence of institutional decay.
The group emphasized that Nnaji’s resignation was not an admission of guilt but a gesture of transparency and respect for due process.
They argued that Ortuanya should follow suit or be suspended by the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure the panel’s work proceeds without hindrance.
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