The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, has rejected the appointment of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah as Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, and also condemned the renaming of the Ojukwu university’s Uli campus after former governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju.
In a statement jointly signed by Umeagbalasi and Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, the group expressed strong opposition to the appointment of Bishop Kukah as Chancellor of COOU, contending that he had not done enough to address insecurity and violence against Christians in Nigeria despite his influence and access to political authorities.
It said its position was based on what it described as a pattern of perceived inaction during critical periods, noting that critics had also questioned his multiple high-level appointments in both federal and state institutions.
Intersociety further rejected the decision to rename the Uli campus of COOU after Mbadinuju, maintaining that the university, already renamed in honour of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, should retain a unified identity across its campuses.
It argued that any attempt to assign separate names to individual campuses undermines the historical and symbolic significance of the institution, while also criticising the record of governance in Anambra State between 1999 and 2003 under Mbadinuju.
At the same time, Intersociety commended Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo for approving automatic employment for 37 first-class graduates of COOU, describing the move as commendable but urging that the appointments be made permanent in accordance with the state’s civil service rules.
It cautioned that the initiative should not be reduced to temporary political patronage tied to the tenure of the current administration, stressing the need for full integration of the beneficiaries into the civil service structure with guaranteed rights and career progression.
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