UNN Vice Chancellor Prof. Simon Ortuanya is facing strong demands to resign or be suspended after a civil society group accused him of tampering with former minister Uche Nnaji’s academic records and obstructing a fair investigation.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Simon Ortuanya, is facing increasing pressure to resign following allegations that he tampered with the academic records of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji.
Nnaji earlier accused Ortuanya of altering his university documents, despite previously receiving a formal clearance from the UNN Registrar confirming the authenticity of his degree.
At a press briefing, the Joint Civil Society Front (JCSF) in Enugu State announced that the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has set up a committee to investigate the purported manipulation of Nnaji’s records.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Vice Chancellor or the university’s media unit were unsuccessful.
The JCSF insists that Ortuanya should step aside to ensure that the Federal Ministry of Education’s investigation proceeds without interference—similar to Nnaji’s own resignation to allow for due process.
According to the group’s coordinator, Vincent Ani, the Vice Chancellor is under scrutiny because he personally released Nnaji’s academic files—declaring that Nnaji never graduated—after allegedly altering those same records. Ani stressed that the release of academic records is the responsibility of the Registrar, raising suspicions about Ortuanya’s motives.
He argued that the VC’s actions suggest deeper institutional issues and may reflect political intentions aimed at discrediting Nnaji.
While commending the Minister of Education for establishing the investigative panel, the group maintained that fairness requires suspending anyone whose conduct is under examination. Doing so, they said, would help prevent intimidation, destruction of evidence, or interference with the inquiry.
“We demand that Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya be suspended while the panel completes its work,” the group stated.
They also warned that the sudden shift in UNN’s official stance—from confirming in 2023 that Nnaji graduated to claiming in 2025 that his records had disappeared—poses a serious threat to the university’s credibility and long-term integrity.
The coalition emphasized that Nnaji’s resignation was not an admission of guilt but a demonstration of respect for transparency and due process. Therefore, they expect Ortuanya to either resign voluntarily or be suspended to allow an unhindered investigation.
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