The Federal University, Gusau (FUGUS), Zamfara State has disowned the sacked Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, Anambra State, Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, saying that he has never worked as a professor in the University.
Addressing the newsmen on Thursday evening in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Muazu Abubakar said, Odoh was neither employed by the University nor appointed as a professor.
He said, “In the last two weeks, both the mainstream and new media in Nigeria have been with screaming headlines about the controversy surrounding the appointment of Dr Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi as the Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awko, Anambra State by the Governing Council of the University.
“Part of the issues that has generated serious attention was 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 Odeh Bernard Ifeanyi regarding (a) his appointment as a tenured Professor in the Department of Geology, (b) grant of leave of absence and (c) confirmation of appointment as a substantive professor by the Governing Council of the University.”
The FUGUS Vice Chancellor said 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 side of the story stem further misinformation on the issue.
“Meanwhile, the so-called letters of offer of our 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 and purported to be certified true copies hurriedly endorsed by Ibrahim Bawa Kaura former Registrar of the Federal University, dated November 8, 2024, six solid years after the letter left the services of the Federal University Gustu, are products of administrative fraud orchestrated by Dr. Odoh working in cahoots with the former Vice Chancellor of the University and the Registrar.
“What is apparent from the foregoing, is that everything about Dr Odoh’s purported offer of appointment as tenure staff and confirmation of promotion as professor is shady, fraudulent, utterly devoid of due process and smacks of illegality as there is no evidence of official documentation with regards to his controversial employment as a staff of the Federal University Gusau.”
He further explained that the whole charade was packaged and executed by the former Vice Chancellor and the former Registrar.
“Further proof of the desperation to perpetuate such illegality is the impersonation and usurpation of the duties of the current Registrar of the University by the former Registrar, Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, who procured a fake stamp to certify Dr Odoh’s equally fake documents as true copies on November 8, 2024, six years after his disengagement from the university,” he said.
The VC FUGUS maintained that themanagement of the Federal University Gusau stated unequivocally that from available records,. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi is not and has never been a tenured staff of the university.
“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,” he said.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNEÂ
UNIZIK crisis: ‘You can’t usurp Court powers in my appointment’, Odoh hits back at Minister
and then