Wike’s Man, Mmom, Is President Tinubu’s Choice Of VC Fed. Uni. Of Environment, Ogoni

By Charles Igbo

A former Commissioner for Education, Rivers State, Professor Chinedu Mmom, has been appointed the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Environment, Ogoni.  Mmom is a distinguished and accomplished academic with a solid hold on Environmental issues.

The establishment of the University was one of the steps taken by the President Bola Administration to lobby/ placate the Ogonis of Rivers State in order to ginger peace and enable, again, the drilling of oil in the area.

The drilling was suspended over violent protests by the indigenes against environmental degradation in the area which grounded the means of livelihood of the people – farming, fishing. It was not, also, helped when the protests finally culminated in the gruesome murder of four prominent Ogoni Chiefs, popular as the “Ogoni 4”, which, also, led to the prosecution and hanging of the “Ogoni 9”, including Playwriter and Environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, by the late  General Sani Abacha’s Military Regime.

To the anger of the families of the “Ogoni 4”, President Tinubu, on June 12, 2025, during the ceremonies marking Democracy Day, not only granted Presidential Pardon to the Ogoni 9, but he awarded them National Honours. To the aggrieved Ogoni 4 families, it was like applauding the Ogoni 9 for, (allegedly), directly and/or indirectly contributing to the murder of the Ogoni 4.

However, many, also, saw the President’s action as one of the moves to appease the people and bring about peace.

On Wednesday, July 30, the President gave a strong bite  to the peace move when he appointed Principal Officers for the take-off of the Federal University he located in Ogoni with Professor Mmom as Vice Chancellor.

Mmom, a loyalist of the Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, was one of the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s Commissioners who resigned in the heat of the political crisis between political godfather and godson – Wike and Fubara.

A statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Stategy, which announced the appointments reads:

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed the Pro-Chancellor, Governing Council Members, and Principal Officers of the Federal University of Environment and Technology, Koroma/Saakpenwa, Ogoni in Rivers State.

“Prof. Don Mon Baridam, from the South-South, is the pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, while Prof. Chinedu Mmom, also from the South-South, will serve as the vice-Chancellor.

“Baridam is a Professor of Management with a specialisation in Organisational Behaviour. He previously taught at the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State.

Mmom is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management at the University of Port Harcourt. He was also a former Commissioner for Education in Rivers State.

“The Governing Council comprise a diverse team, with members from different regions of the country.

“They are Mr. Emmanuel Onoja (North Central), Mr. Hamid Adekunle (South West), Prof. Chima Oji (South East) and Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji Lamda (North West).

“President Tinubu appointed a team of professionals to play key roles at the University.

“Dr. Mpigi Monday Douglas from the South South will be the Registrar, Zoryii Josco Nwaimanie from the North Central will take on the role of Bursar, and Dr. Saghanen Ntogo G. B. from the South South will be the Librarian.

“The new University will admit its first cohort of students in September 2025.

“President Tinubu signed the bill establishing the University into law on February 3, 2025.

“Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information & Strategy)
July 30, 2025”