By Victor Okorie
A lot has been written and reported in the recent past on the personality and conduct of Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha in the course of her prolonged stay in office as the acting Vice-Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.
The arrows started flying when it was alleged that Prof. Omenugha, in her bid to secure confirmation of her tenure as substantive Vice Chancellor of the institution, has used her position to block and stultify every effort made by the Council of the university to conclude the efforts to select a substantive Vice Chancellor.
From December 18, 2024, when it came to light that Omenugha would never allow for a free and fair contest for that office, her co-contestants for that office and their teeming supporters started making efforts to see her off by every legitimate means. Presently, the Ag. Vice Chancellor is answering a lot of petitions both at the EFCC and sister organisations.
The latest issue raised by Omenugha’s traducers for her to answer is the issue of her exact age.
In the belief that the Ag. Vice Chancellor has falsified her age in her bid to be eligible to be Vice Chancellor of the institution, a petition was forwarded to the Inspector General of Police asking him to probe into the date of birth of Prof. Omenugha.
In support of the petition, Omenugha’s birth certificate was attached. The certificate bears the date of her birth, baptism, confirmation, first holy communion and even marriage.
Curiously, it was Omenugha’s year of birth and confirmation that were mutilated on the certificate without attestation.
The suspicion of fraud on the document was heightened by a curious affidavit of age of birth sworn to by Omenugha’s junior brother at Awka High Court in August 2023, adopting the new age as her authentic age of birth. As a follow-up to that, the acting V.C. celebrated her 60th birthday in 2025, where she unusually advertised to the whole world that she was 60 years old.
The Police had gone to St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Nnokwa, Idemili South L.G.A on 25th June 2025, to look at the register of baptisms so as to confirm that Kate Omenugha ( then Catherine Nwagwu) was actually born and baptised on the dates written on her baptismal card.
Curiously, the revered Catholic church that is hailed all over the world for its remarkable reputation in record keeping is yet to provide the register where Omenugha’s date of birth and baptism appeared alongside the names of other children born and baptised at the same time as her.
While the office of the Inspector General of Police was contemplating the next line of action on the investigation, Prof. Omenugha sprang up a piece of paper, allegedly written and signed by one Rev. Fr. Mills, who purportedly baptised Catherine Nwagwu, now Kate Omenugha, in 1965 at Nnokwa. The piece of paper, as important as it is, is not on any letterheaded paper but was stamped with the stamp of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha.
Many believe that the latest document has opened a new frontier to the enquiry into the real age of Prof. Kate Omenugha which is of great significance to her career as a public servant, particularly, her current quest to be the substantive V.C of COOU where her age is most relevant. The extent of the involvement of the Church in the mutilation of Prof Omenugha’s certificate of birth and baptism will one day come to light. Until the whole debacle is disentangled, all eyes will be on the office of the IGP and the almighty Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha and their Rev. Fr. Mills.
Moreover, how did she get her brother in August 2023 to swear to an affidavit claiming her birth was not registered, yet the baptismal card shows a date of birth?
What document was she using for age information between 1988 when she got employed at Unizik and 2023 when the affidavit was sworn to?
How did Fr Mills (a white priest) who baptized her in 1965(?) sign a validation paper in 2025?
Where is Fr Mills and what is his mental state?
How is it that the Parish priest of St Mary’s Catholic Church, Nnokwa, did not authenticate the mutilation on the baptismal card or use the Parish letterhead to affirm that the church did the mutilation on the baptismal card?
It is obvious that Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha had in 2023, knowing that she was already disqualified by age to contest the position of Vice-chancellor, decided to mutilate the date of birth on her baptismal card and cover it with an affidavit of age declaration.
She followed it up with an elaborate 60-year birthday in January 2025 to put her new age in the public domain. And deceive unsuspecting people that her real date of birth is 30 January 1965, rather than the mutilated year of 1957, which makes her 68 years old.
Anyone above 65 years old as at the time of assumption of office is disqualified from contesting for the post of Vice chancellor in Nigerian universities.
The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.
“Controversy surrounding Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha’s acting Vice Chancellorship. Questions about her credentials and age have sparked debate. Transparency and clarity are essential in resolving this issue.”