Following the recent retirement of two Directors and vacuum created in the positions in the affected Directorates, the duo of Dr. Mrs. Funmilayo Jumoke Morebise and Barr. Samuel Sardauna Adejoh have been appointed Acting Directors of Open, Distance and e-Learning (DODel) and Establishment of Private Universities (DEPU), respectively, in order to provide stable leadership in the system. The appointments followed their recommendations by the Management Committee chaired by the Acting Executive Secretary, NUC, Mr. Chris J. Maiyaki.
Their separate letters of appointment signed by the Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Maiyaki dated 3rd May, 2024, for both Mrs. Morebise and Barr. Adejoh reads inter alia, “The appointment is in recognition of your performance, loyalty, commitment to duty and high sense of responsibility.
“While congratulating them on their appointments, the letter further read: “the Commission look forward to your sustained interest and proactive service in the collective efforts at moving the Nigerian University System forward.” In the letter of assignment, Mrs. Moberise is the Acting Director, DODel while Barr. Adejoh takes charge of the Directorate of Establishment of Private Universities.
The release signed by the Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Maiyaki, declared that the posting of both officers take effect from 2nd of May, 2024. The letters of appointment were handed over to the new Acting Directors by Deputy Executive Secretary (DES) Academics, Dr. Noel Biodun Saliu, on behalf of the Acting Executive Secretary.
—Profile of Barrister Adejoh
Barrister Samuel Sardauna Adejoh, started his educational career in 1974 from Army Children School, Kakuri, Kaduna/Qua Iboe Mission Primary School, Okpo, Kogi State, where he obtained the Certificate of Primary Education: (1974 – 1979) and moved to Government Secondary School, Okpo, Kogi State for his Secondary School Certificate between 1980 and 1984.
He later proceeded to the School of Basic Studies, Makurdi in 1985 and by 1986, he gained admission into the University of Jos, where he obtained his first degree in Law, 1990. He went for the mandatory Nigerian Law School at Victoria Island, Lagos for his (Barr Training: 1990-1991) and later obtained Masters Degree (LL.M) in 2010, from the same University of Jos, Plateau State.
He had a brief stint in the private sector working briefly as a private legal practitioner in the legal firm of Isaac Okpanachi & Co. Neighbourhood Centre, Zone 3, Wuse, Abuja before joining the services of the National Universities Commission on 1st June, 1994 as Academic Planning Officer II (Law).
The appointment made him to be designated as the discipline officer for Law in Nigerian universities. While in the NUC, he rose through the ranks to become Deputy Director, Resource and Strategic Planning in 2011, as well as the Coordinator, University System Annual Review Meetings (USARM).
Barr. Adejoh’s entire work life in the Commission was literally in the Department of Academic Planning (DAP) or Department of Academic Standards (DAS) up till January 2013 as known then before it was renamed at some point. He was thereafter deployed briefly to the then Department of Open and Distance Education and then redeployed back to Department of Academic Standards DAS in November 2013. He served as the pioneer staff of the then newly created Strategic Planning Division in 2001 and he held various positions including Acting Head, SIWES, Ag. Head, and later Deputy Director, in charge of Resource and Strategic Planning; Strategic Planning as well as Undergraduate Curriculum Development and Planning, all in the Directorate of Academic Planning. He became the Deputy Director, Academic Matters Division in the Directorate for Establishment of Private Universities in July 2023,a position he held until his elevation to the rank of Acting Director, Establishment of Private Universities (DEPU).
Barr. Adejoh has held so many ad-hoc positions in the course of his service at the Commission including as Secretary to Committee on Monitoring of Private Universities that visited Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State and Pan African University, Lagos (2003); Assistant Secretary, Presidential Technical Committee on Consolidation of Tertiary Institutions [Oct. 2006 – Feb. 2007] and Secretary, Presidential Visitation Panel to University of Agriculture, Makurdi, 15th February – 14th March, 2011.
He had also served in the Membership of: Standing Committee on Establishment of Private Universities (SCOPU) [June 2007-April 2010]; Ministerial Investigative Committee for Nigerian French Language Village, Badagry, 2001 – 2009 and Governing Council, McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Abeokuta, Ogun State–16th October 2012 – 2023 and was Member/Secretary, Presidential Visitation Panel to University of Ibadan (April – June, 2021).
He has attended several workshops, seminars, conferences and short courses within and outside Nigeria.
Barr. Adejoh, born on 15th January, 1966 at Ugbologidi, Okpo in Kogi State, is a qualified Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and a non-active member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
Barr. Adejoh is happily married and the father of two sets of twins.