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A storm of controversy has erupted following a high-profile open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by Comrade James Ezema, a renowned human rights campaigner and investigative journalist, calling for a full-scale investigation into the academic and professional credentials of Professor Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, a rumoured nominee for appointment as a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

Comrade Ezema, who currently serves as the National Vice President (Investigation) of the Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ), recently raised an alarm over reasonable suspicion of his academic irregularities — most notably the absence of Prof. Ortuanya’s name from the 2021 Directory of Full Professors in the Nigerian University System, a publication by the National Universities Commission (NUC), widely regarded as the definitive academic register in the country.

In a compelling and widely circulated open letter, Comrade Ezema called on President Bola Tinubu to order an immediate and independent probe into Prof. Ortuanya’s professorial appointment and academic trajectory, warning that any manipulation of the Vice-Chancellorship of UNN would be a “devastating blow to academic integrity in Nigeria.”

But what began as a campaign for transparency has now spiraled into a disturbing wave of threats and intimidation against journalists and bloggers who dared to publish the open letter of the President.

“I Am Being Threatened for Telling the Truth” — Journalist Raises Alarm

One of the most vocal reporters on the matter, Agu Chineme, founder of Chineme Agu TV blog, issued a chilling public appeal for help on Thursday, citing rising pressure and threats following his publication echoing Comrade Ezema’s investigative concerns.

“My phone has not stopped ringing,” Agu stated in his open appeal. “Professors, politicians, and stakeholders from Igbo Etiti LGA are calling me. Notably, my principal, Dr. Eric Odo, and even the Deputy Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ezenta Ezeani, have contacted me. I was told the Governor himself directed that I take down the story.”

“Now I face threats of arrest and intimidation for doing my job. If I am detained, I want the world to know: I am innocent. Please share this widely.”

A Tale of Intimidation and Alleged Cover-Up

In a statement issued the Independent Nsukka Solidarity Agenda Worldwide, signed by its Secretary General, Dr. Joseph Idoko, the group decried the threats, noting that the implications of Agu’s appeal are profound, insisting “that the machinery of the state is allegedly being weaponized to silence dissent and obstruct scrutiny into Prof. Ortuanya’s academic record.”

The global movement confirmed that “Insiders in the academic community have confirmed that Prof. Ortuanya’s name is indeed missing from the NUC’s 2021 directory — a glaring omission that raises red flags, considering his controversial appointment as Professor by Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), which reportedly occurred after he resigned from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.”

The group noted that indeed, the allege leap from Lecturer I to a Professor, without clearly undergoing through standard academic procedures and peer review, constitutes “academic fraud and administrative impunity” if proven.

“Nigeria’s Academia Must Not Be Politicised”

Speaking to reporters when contacted on the development, Comrade Ezema, warned that Nigeria’s academic system must not be reduced to a playground for political appointments.

“Nigeria’s tertiary institutions should be sacred institutions where scholars must be of impeccable academic standing”, adding, “We are not attacking a person; we are defending a process, a legacy, and a national institution.”

Ezema also condemned the threats faced by journalists as “a disturbing descent into fascism,” urging media practitioners and human rights defenders to rally behind the embattled reporters as this is not just about one professor. It’s about whether truth still has a place in this republic called Nigeria.”

The Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and other media rights organizations are reportedly monitoring the situation closely, with calls expected for both state and federal governments to guarantee the safety of whistleblowers and the press.