The Federal University Gusau has officially denied claims that Dr. Ifeanyi Bernard Odoh, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), was ever awarded a professorship or held any academic role at the institution.
The university responded following claims that Odoh had been appointed as a professor at Federal University Gusau around 2015. In a letter dated November 6, 2024, the institution clarified that Odoh had never been a staff member, nor had he served as the Head of the Department of Geology, a position reportedly attributed to him in earlier reports. The university emphasized that Odoh had never taught any courses at the institution.
The response came after a formal inquiry by Kingsley Awuka, a lawyer with the firm Awuka, Okafor & Partners, which sought to clarify Odoh’s academic history at the institution. Federal University Gusau’s letter, addressed to Awuka, stated: “Our records show that Dr. Ifeanyi Bernard Odoh was neither a staff member nor a pioneer Head of the Department of Geology. He has never shown up in the Department nor taught any course(s).”
The university also issued an apology for a typographical error in an earlier correspondence regarding the matter.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Education has waded into the controversy surrounding Odoh’s appointment as Vice-Chancellor of NAU. In a letter dated November 1, 2024, the ministry declared the appointment null and void, citing non-compliance with proper procedures. The ministry highlighted that the university’s governing council had appointed Odoh without reconciling with key stakeholders, including internal council members and ministry representatives, as had been agreed upon earlier.
The Ministry’s letter read, “It has come to the attention of the Ministry that your Council had gone ahead to appoint a Vice-Chancellor for the University without the Representative of the Ministry, the internal council members and other stakeholders present… This is a gross disregard to constituted authority.”
Despite this, Odoh assumed office as Vice-Chancellor on October 29, 2024, a move that has sparked protests from faculty members, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at NAU. ASUU has since taken the matter to court, challenging the legality of Odoh’s appointment.
Sources close to the university have raised concerns over Odoh’s qualifications for the position. Odoh, who was promoted to Associate Professor (Reader) in 2022, has not held key administrative roles, such as Head of Department, Dean, or Director, and has reportedly not supervised any PhD candidates. According to university regulations, candidates for Vice-Chancellor must typically have at least 10 years of experience as a full professor.
In addition, claims that Odoh was a visiting professor at Federal University Gusau have been disputed, with sources asserting that he has never held the title of full professor, and continues to be listed as a Reader in the Department of Applied Geophysics at NAU.
Odoh, a former governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, had served as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) from 2015 to 2018. Some sources suggest that his political connections, particularly with influential figures in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), may have played a role in his appointment, despite questions about his academic qualifications.
This controversy highlights ongoing concerns about governance and academic standards within Nigeria’s higher education system, as stakeholders await further developments in the legal and administrative proceedings surrounding Odoh’s appointment.
