President Bola Tinubu is expected to dissolve the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, following controversies surrounding the appointment of Professor Bernard Odoh as the institution’s vice-chancellor, sources have revealed.
Controversial Appointment
Professor Odoh, appointed as the university’s seventh substantive vice-chancellor on October 29, has faced significant scrutiny over his academic credentials and the selection process. Odoh, a former gubernatorial candidate in Ebonyi State under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), claimed in his profile to have served as a visiting professor at the Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) between 2015 and 2017.
However, both FUGUS and its Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter have refuted this claim in official correspondence.
Irregular Recruitment Process
UNIZIK’s ASUU and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) had earlier flagged alleged irregularities in the announcement of the vacancy and recruitment process for the vice-chancellor position.
Their concerns were echoed by the Federal Ministry of Education, which nullified Odoh’s appointment via a November 1 memo, accusing the Governing Council, led by Greg Mbadiwe, of sidelining ministry representatives, internal council members, and other stakeholders in the selection process.
Despite this, the university’s Registrar, R.I. Nwokike, defended the council’s decision, citing a court judgment empowering the council to appoint the vice-chancellor. Odoh himself dismissed the ministry’s nullification as baseless during a press conference, asserting his promotion to full professor at FUGUS in 2015.
ASUU Condemns Appointment
The national body of ASUU has also rejected Odoh’s appointment, describing it as a violation of university regulations. In a statement, ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke criticized both Odoh’s appointment and that of UNIZIK Registrar Rosemary Nwokike, alleging breaches in advertisement, search, shortlisting, and selection processes.
Imminent Dissolution
President Tinubu has reportedly approved the dissolution of the university’s Governing Council. Minister of Education Tunji Alausa is expected to make an official announcement soon, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The controversy has drawn attention to governance challenges in Nigerian universities and raised questions about adherence to due process in leadership appointments.
