Varsity denies awarding professorship to sacked UNIZIK VC

The Federal University, Gusau in Zamfara State has denied awarding professorship to the sacked Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Akwa in Anambra State, Dr Bernard Odoh.

The vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Muazu Abubakar, stated this at a press briefing in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, on Friday, November 22, 2024.

Abubakar said Odoh was neither employed by the university nor appointed as a professor.

The VC said: “The so-called letters of offer of appointment and confirmation of promotion to the post of professor, dated 30th April 2015 and 12th November 2015, were an administrative fraud.

“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 years after he left the services of the university, were also administrative fraud.

“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 Odoh as vice-chancellor.”

Abubakar stated that part of the issues that have generated serious attention was the claim by Odoh that he was offered a tenure appointment and confirmed as a professor by the university.

Odoh to Tinubu: You can’t sack me as UNIZIK VC via press release

Abubakar added: “Arising from the spurious claim, the Federal University, Gusau, has been inundated with inquiries about the true status of Odoh.

“This was 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.

“The widely circulated misinformation by 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 to stem further misinformation on the issue.”

He said everything about Odoh’s purported offer of appointment as a tenured staff and confirmation of promotion as a professor was “shoddy, fraudulent, utterly devoid of due process, and smacks of illegality”.

The vice-chancellor stated: “There is no evidence of official documentation with regards to his controversial employment as a staff of the Federal University Gusau.

“The Federal University, Gusau, wishes to state in unequivocal terms that from available records, Odoh has not, and has never been its tenured staff, let alone being confirmed as a professor by the institution.”

The Star