Prof. Godwin Uchenna Akam, younger brother of the late Very Rev. Msgr. Prof. John Bosco Akam, founder of Tansian University, Umunya, has accused Rev. Fr. Edwin Chukwujekwu Obiora of attempting to convert the university into his personal property, sparking a bitter dispute that threatens the institution’s future.
Prof. Akam, the sole surviving executor of his brother’s Last Will following the deaths of Barr. B. S. Nwankwo and Bengood Akam, said he has been increasingly alarmed by what he described as “continuous manipulation and legal obstruction” by Fr. Obiora. According to him, the priest is preventing the proper execution of the founder’s Last Will, which explicitly placed the university under the Missionary Servants of the Church.
“In the lifetime of my brother, Tansian University had no Board of Trustees for itself. The governance was under the Board of Trustees for the Missionary Servants of the Church, to which there is still a surviving member,” Prof. Akam said. “Now, I am watching with disbelief as Fr. Obiora, conniving with some unknown elements, tries to register Tansian University, Umunya Limited by Guarantee, creating a board to control the university. This is an aberration, a complete deviation from my brother’s intentions. It is an attempt to hijack what does not belong to him.”
Prof. Akam described his concerns during a recent meeting with Cardinal Peter Okpalaeke of the Ekwulobia Diocese, in whose diocese the late Msgr. Akam was incardinated. He said the cardinal told him directly that he had “washed his hands off Tansian University,” a statement that casts doubt on Fr. Obiora’s repeated claims that the university now belongs to the Catholic Church.
“I want the public and the authorities to know that Fr. Obiora’s continuous assertion that Tansian University is owned by the Catholic Church, through the Ekwulobia and Awka dioceses, is a lie from the pit of hell,” Prof. Akam said. “Cardinal Okpalaeke has made it clear that he is not involved and has no intention of assuming control. Why then would a priest act with such brazenness against the wishes of his fellow deceased priests and against a congregation explicitly named in the will?”
He went further to condemn Fr. Obiora’s rise within the university, from legal adviser to chancellor and eventually to professor of law. “His appointment as a professor of law did not follow the procedures established in Nigeria. Normally, to be appointed a professor of law in a Nigerian university, a candidate must first hold a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in law or an equivalent qualification, demonstrate a substantial record of published research in reputable journals, and have significant teaching experience. The candidate’s credentials and work must then be thoroughly evaluated through rigorous peer review, assessed by the university’s promotion and appointment committee, and finally approved by the Senate of the university. In his case, he coerced the university’s promotion and appointment committee and the Senate to appoint him as a professor of law. Even if he obtained a Ph.D., that alone does not qualify one to become a professor. There was no proper peer review, no genuine evaluation by the promotion and appointment committee, and no legitimate Senate approval. This is another aberration, another sign of the way he is trying to consolidate power for himself.”
Prof. Akam warned Fr. Obiora to “stay clear of my brother’s properties so that the will may be executed according to his last instructions.” He described the priest as an “imposter” and accused him of using legal technicalities and influence to block the rightful executors of the will from performing their duties. “It is unimaginable that a priest, sworn to uphold moral and ethical standards, would act with such greed and audacity, threatening the very legacy of the man who dedicated his life to education and faith.”
Prof. Akam called on the Nigeria Bar Association, the Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria to investigate what he described as “illegal manipulations and obstruction” by Fr. Obiora. “This is not just a family dispute. This is a matter of public interest. The integrity of a faith-based institution, a university founded on the values of discipline, moral excellence, and academic rigor, is being compromised.”
Prof. Akam also expressed astonishment at the way Fr. Obiora has allegedly sidelined both family members and members of the missionary congregation. “All efforts to execute the will have been systematically blocked. Legal strategies are being employed to ensure that the university is converted into what appears to be his personal fiefdom. This is deeply troubling. My brother built this university for the Missionary Servants of the Church. Fr. Obiora is determined to overwrite that. He has turned himself into the master of the university, despite having no right to do so.”
He further explained the evolution of the congregation his brother founded. “The Missionary Servants of the Church, which my brother later changed to the Missionary Sons of Blessed Iwene Tansian (Tansian Missionary) at Ijebu Ode Diocese, was meant to formalize his vision for missionary work. While he was trying to formalize it, one Mr. Innocent Ukeh hijacked it, forged Msgr. Akam’s signature, and registered the Missionary Sons of Iwene Tansi Congregation at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The signature on the CAC certificate is not my brother’s original signature; it was forged.”
According to Prof. Akam, the founder’s will was clear in its directives. “The university was to remain under the supervision of the missionary order. My brother did not leave any provision granting any individual the right to alter this structure. Yet, here we are, witnessing the hijacking of an entire institution by one man, using the guise of authority and influence to bend laws and traditions to his will.”
He expressed frustration over the lack of action from ecclesiastical authorities. “It is incomprehensible that the church, which should uphold moral and legal principles, has remained silent while this travesty unfolds. I hope that those responsible for upholding justice and law in Nigeria will intervene to prevent further damage.”
As Tansian University continues to operate under the contested governance, Prof. Akam stressed that the future of the university and its students is at stake. “The students, staff, and the reputation of this institution are being held hostage by one man’s ambition. I will continue to fight, legally and publicly, to ensure that the university remains faithful to my brother’s vision and that the will is executed as intended. We cannot allow Tansian University to be turned into a personal property of anyone. It belongs to God, to the missionary congregation, and to the vision of my late brother.”