Prof. Ifeanyichukwu Iroha, has been appointed the new substantive Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
Iroha’s appointment followed the withdrawal of letter of appointment earlier issued to Prof. Ekwe Agwu on April 10, 2026.
Iroha confirmed his new appointment in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Abakaliki.
The new provost, until his appointment, was a lecturer in the Department of Applied Microbiology, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Abakaliki.
According to the letter of withdrawal of appointment of the former provost signed by Dr Abubakar Dabban, Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) dated May 11, the termination of appointment is with immediate effect.
Dabban noted that the letter superseded all previous letters issued to the former provost.
The letter addressed to Agwu was captioned, “Withdrawal of Letter of Appointment As Provost/CEO Federal College of Agriculture (FCA), Ishiagu, Ebonyi State.”
The letter read in part: “Sequel to the Council’s appointment letter issued to you as Provost of Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu vide a letter with ref: ARCN/11/01/S.2/11/316 of April 10, 2026 in line with the approval of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu (GCFR).
“This is to inform you of the withdrawal of your appointment letter with immediate effect. This letter supersedes all the previous letters issued to you by the council.”
Iroha, is a professor of Medical Microbiology, with specialization in Pharmaceutical Microbiology.
He is an indigene of Ishiagu Community in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi and the second indigenous provost of the institution since its establishment in 1992.
The professor began his lecturing career in the Department of Applied Microbiology at EBSU, in 2004 and is a recognized expert in antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization.
The distinguished academic was former Head of Department of Applied Microbiology and former Dean of the School of postgraduate Studies, EBSU.
In October 2025, he was appointed as the pioneer Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu (DUFUS).
Iroha obtained his Bachelors of Science, Masters of Science, and Ph.D. respectively from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
The professor of Medical Microbiology is a seasoned researcher with over 180 publications and has won a prestigious post-doctoral fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany.
He conducted research on Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamases (ESBLs) at Ruhr Universität Bochum (2009–2011).
His research specializes in antimicrobial resistance, molecular characterization, and pharmaceutical microbiology, including topics on MRSA and resistance genes.
Iroha is a prominent figure in Microbiology education in Nigeria, often referenced as a speaker at academic conferences. (NAN)
