In what appears to be a glaring case of favoritism and abuse of office, fresh revelations have emerged indicting the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, in a scandalous employment and promotion scheme allegedly engineered to favour a certain female staff—widely rumored within university corridors to be romantically linked to him.
A leaked internal document from the Personnel Unit of the institution, backed by confidential testimonies from a whistleblower and unnamed senior staff within the University, points to an orchestrated breach of employment regulations to elevate Ndudie Oton, a staff member in the Faculty of Law, against due process.
The Timeline of Irregularities
According to the document, Ms. Oton was originally employed in January 2021 as a Senior Administrative Officer, holding only a LLB and a Call to Bar certificate. Two years later, in June 2023, she completed a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from the University of Uyo.
Just a month later, in July 2023, she was converted from her administrative role to an academic staff position at the rank of Lecturer II, which is the standard entry point for an academic with an LLM in the Nigerian university system.
However, the controversy erupted when, barely five months later in December 2023, Ms. Oton was promoted to Lecturer I, with effect from January 2024—an unusual leap that has sparked outrage among academic staff and regulatory observers.
Breach of Due Process
According to the “Guidelines for Appointments and Promotions of Academic Staff” at the University of Uyo, as well as regulations recognized by the National Universities Commission (NUC), a Lecturer II must serve at least three years of verifiable teaching experience before becoming eligible for promotion to Lecturer I. Ms. Oton had only five months of such experience at the time of her promotion.
“That promotion is not only irregular—it is illegal,” said a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences, who asked not to be named for fear of victimization. “We have had colleagues stagnate for five years or more waiting for promotion, and then this happens?”
A Promotion for Gratification?
In a petition addressed to the Acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Mr. Chris Jibreel Maiyaki, the whistleblower described the promotion as one “granted for gratification rather than qualification and hard work.” The letter, dated February 28, 2024, was also copied to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Council for Legal Education, and the Minister of Education.
“The Vice Chancellor was made aware of these discrepancies but refused to act,” the whistleblower wrote. “Instead, he approved the promotion and issued a letter to that effect, in clear violation of all known regulations.”
The letter added that Ms. Oton’s alleged romantic ties to the Vice Chancellor may explain the brazen disregard for protocol, and called for an urgent investigation into the matter.
Culture of Silence and Fear
While several staff members interviewed acknowledged knowledge of the irregularity, they also admitted that fear of reprisal has silenced many within the university community.
“This is not the first time something like this is happening,” one long-serving professor in the Faculty of Arts told our reporter. “But this one is so blatant, it has made many of us ashamed. It sends the message that merit no longer counts—only proximity to power.”
A Pattern, Not an Exception?
Sources close to the university’s Appointments and Promotions Committee hinted that similar cases have quietly occurred in other faculties, though none with the audacity or speed of Ms. Oton’s promotion.
“If this is allowed to stand, it means every rule in the university’s Conditions of Service can be bent at will,” said one member of the academic staff union. “It erodes morale, trust, and the credibility of the university system.”
Regulatory Bodies React
At press time, there was no official comment from the National Universities Commission or the ICPC regarding the matter. However, a source within the NUC, who reviewed the leaked petition, confirmed receipt and noted that “a preliminary inquiry may soon be underway.”
Repeated attempts to reach the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, for comment were unsuccessful. A text message sent to his official university line was marked as read but received no reply.
Conclusion
As the University of Uyo inches closer to a leadership transition, questions are mounting over whether this scandal is an isolated misjudgment or a glimpse into a broader rot within the institution’s top leadership. The promotion of Ndudie Oton has not only exposed potential romantic favoritism, but also the fragile state of merit-based advancement in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
Whether the regulatory agencies will act decisively remains to be seen. But what is certain is that the eyes of the academic community—and the public—are now fixed squarely on UniUyo.
