Herbert Wigwe’s University Rocked by Ex-workers Crisis Amid Abuse Allegations
- Multiple former staff at Wigwe University alleged they were dismissed without panels, queries, or any stated misconduct
- A Zimbabwean lecturer claimed the university terminated his appointment after allegedly refusing to honour an agreed annual travel ticket to visit his family
- Documents reviewed by Punch suggest around 30 academic and non-academic staff either left or were dismissed within the period under review
Less than two years after the death of its founder, Wigwe University in Isiokpo, Rivers State, is facing troubling allegations from former employees who claim they were dismissed without due process, intimidated, and subjected to administrative high-handedness.
On August 1, 2025, Dr Nonyelum Okechukwu, the university’s librarian since November 2023, arrived at work expecting a normal day. Instead, she was handed a termination letter.
Source: Instagram
“I came to work on August 1, 2025, and they served me a letter saying they were giving me notice to stop working and that my appointment would be terminated on October 30, 2025,” she told our correspondent.
Okechukwu said she was shocked by the decision, insisting she was never invited before a disciplinary panel.
“That is why I believe they couldn’t set up a panel. If I had done anything wrong, they would have constituted a panel. No panel was set up. I simply received the letter,” she added.
Her complaint to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees yielded no response.
“The letter simply said, ‘Thank you for the job,’ and that from this day we no longer require your services,” she recalled, lamenting that the dismissal may affect her future career prospects.
Other former employees shared similar experiences. Confidence Ihunwo, who joined as a college secretary in December 2024, said her appointment ended abruptly after she fell ill at work, The Saturday Punch reports.
“I came to the office sick. I sought permission to leave by 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., but it wasn’t granted. By 4:30 p.m., a senior colleague took me to the hospital in her car. I returned the next morning and was given a sack letter,” she alleged.
A Zimbabwean lecturer, who requested anonymity, claimed his contract was terminated after the university failed to honour an agreement to sponsor annual trips to visit his family.
“Later, they didn’t honour that agreement, and then my appointment was terminated,” he said, adding that he had to fund his return home himself.
Documents reviewed by Sunday Punch suggest that about 30 academic and non-academic staff either resigned or had their appointments terminated within the period. Several described the environment as “toxic” and dominated by fear.
One former deputy registrar alleged that Vice-Chancellor Professor Marwan Al-Akaidi dismissed staff “at will” and even instructed him to prepare termination letters under questionable circumstances. “I was frustrated to the point that I resigned on my own,” he said.
Professor Arinola Ajayi, a lecturer in the College of Engineering, also confirmed his resignation.
“I actually resigned from the university. I was no longer comfortable working in that environment,” he said.
While former employees paint a troubling picture of life at Wigwe University, the institution strongly disputes the allegations, insisting that its operations remain guided by fairness and professionalism.
The crisis raises questions about how Herbert Wigwe’s dream of building a world-class citadel of learning is being managed in his absence. Wigwe, one of Nigeria’s foremost bankers, died in a helicopter crash in the United States on February 9, 2024, months before the university formally opened.
Source: Twitter
Court rules on Herbert Wigwe's property
Legit.ng earlier reported that late Herbert Wigwe’s father and cousin, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe and Christian Wigwe's application to appoint interim administrators for Herbert Wigwe's estate has been dismissed.
The Lagos State High Court Family/Probate Court in Ikeja has dismissed the suit on the ground that it was unsustainable.
However, the court resolved all other issues raised by the applicants against Access Bank Plc, Coronation Merchant Bank Ltd, and United Securities Ltd.
Source: Legit.ng
