Bernard Odoh, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has expressed his discontent over President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove him from his position.
Speaking in an interview on AriseTV on November 21, Odoh argued that since he was not appointed through a press release, his removal via the same medium was improper.
On November 20, President Tinubu dissolved the university’s governing council and dismissed the vice-chancellor and registrar.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, claimed that Odoh’s appointment was “illegal” and violated due process, describing him as “unqualified” for the role.
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Odoh, however, refuted the claims, asserting his qualifications and adherence to due process in securing the position.
He stated that his academic records confirm he became a professor on October 1, 2015, and that his appointment was based on merit following assessments by three evaluators.
He dismissed allegations about his credentials as “lies,” accusing detractors of tampering with his records to discredit him.
While maintaining his respect for the president’s authority, Odoh emphasized that his removal should have been recommended by the governing council, which had yet to conclude its deliberations.
He also noted that the issue of his appointment is pending in both the federal high court in Abuja and an industrial court, arguing that the decision to dismiss him preempted the legal process.
Odoh criticised Education Minister Tunji Alausa for acting prematurely, stating that no panel of inquiry had been convened and that he had not been given an opportunity to present his side of the story.
He also alleged that ethnic bias influenced the campaign against him, citing his background as an indigene of Ebonyi State. “I’m from Ebonyi state. We are regarded as third-class people. People feel I’m not qualified because I come from Ebonyi state,” he said.
Odoh warned that the absence of a vice-chancellor, registrar, and governing council could lead to administrative chaos at the university, jeopardizing accreditation and other critical activities.
He called for President Tinubu to reconsider his decision, asserting that the governing council was only punished for following due process in appointing him.
“Mr. President must have been ill-advised. He can remove me but only through the council,” Odoh added
Odoh’s contentious appointment
Information obtained from Secrets Reporters showed that significant procedural irregularities in the appointment of Odoh, specifically regarding the composition of the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board were not followed.
As mandated by Paragraph 4(3) of the First Schedule of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Act, the Selection Board should consist of the Pro-Chancellor as Chairman, two Council members (not affiliated with the Senate), and two Senate members who are professors and were not on the search team.
However, the report suggests that these requirements were bypassed, calling into question the legality of the selection process and the subsequent appointment.
On October 16, 2024, the University Senate expressed strong objections during its 227th meeting, formally resolving to disengage from any further involvement in the Vice Chancellor selection until these procedural issues were addressed.
The Senate’s decision was based on concerns over an advertisement published on September 12, 2024, in the Vanguard Newspaper, which failed to involve the properly constituted Senate Governing Council, and did not meet the stipulated requirements.
Due to these and other legal infractions, Plaintiffs have filed a suit seeking the court’s intervention to annul the process and enforce statutory adherence in future selections.
