From Maiharaji Altine
The Federal University Gusau in Zamfara state has announced that, the sacked Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikwe University (UNIZIK) Akwa, Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh has never worked as a Professor of that University.
Addressing an emergency press conference last night, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Muazu Abubakar said, Dr. Bernard ifeanyi Odoh has neither served as a professor at the Federal University Gusau.
Abubakar further explained that, Dr. Odoh was neither employed by the University nor appointed as a Professor.
According to him, the so-called letters of offer of tenure of appointment as Professor and confirmation of promotion to the post of Professor, dated 30th April 2015 and 12th November 2015,
being paraded by Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi were products of administrative fraud.
He said, the so-called letters and offer of appointments purported to be certified true copies hurriedly endorsed by the former Registrar of the university Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, dated November 8, 2024, six solid years after he left the services of the university were products of administrative fraud orchestrated by Dr. Odoh, working in cahoots with the former Vice Chancellor of the University and the Registrar.
The Vice Chancellor maintained that, in the last two weeks, both the mainstream and new media in Nigeria have been awash with screaming headlines about the controversy surrounding the appointment of Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi as the Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State by the Governing Council of the University.
“Part of the issues that have generated serious attention is the misleading and unfounded claim by Dr. Odoh that he was offered a tenure appointment and confirmed as a Professor by the Federal University, Gusau”.
“Arising from the spurious claim, the Federal University Gusau, has been inundated with enquiries about the true status of Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi regarding his appointment as a tenured Professor in the Department of Geology, grant of leave of absence and confirmation of appointment as a substantive professor by the Governing Council of the University”.
“In response to the public enquiry, the University management, after a thorough internal scrutiny, issued a disclaimer to the effect that Dr. Odoh was neither employed by the University nor appointed as a professor”.
“However, despite the disclaimer, Dr. Odoh has been unrelenting, parading documents purportedly issued by the University as proof of his non-existent employment by the institution”.
“The widely circulated misinformation by Dr. Odoh has no doubt, raised serious concerns about the credibility and reputation of the Federal University, Gusau”.
“Consequently, the University Management has decided to go public, to tell its own side of the story to stem further misinformation on the issue”.
Professor Abubakar said, everything about Dr. Odoh’s purported offer of appointment as tenure staff and confirmation of promotion as professor was shoddy, fraudulent, utterly devoid of due process and smacks of illegality.
He stressed that, there is no evidence of official documentation with regards to his controversial employment as a staff of the Federal University Gusau.
“The whole charade was packaged and executed by the former Vice Chancellor and the former Registrar, without recourse to extant rules and due process for reasons not known to law and common sense”.
“The Federal University Gusau, wishes to state in unequivocal terms that from available records, Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi is not and has never been a tenure staff of the University, let alone being confirmed as a Professor by the institution”.
“Whatever claim to the contrary by Dr. Odoh is nothing but the antics of a drowning man who is hell-bent on using the good name of the Federal University Gusau, to give vent to his desperate ambition to become the Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, through subterfuge”. Concluded the Vice Chancellor.
