President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday took decisive action by dismissing the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Bernard Odoh, along with the university's Governing Council. This decision was announced by Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu's special adviser on Information and Strategy.
The controversy stemmed from Mr. Odoh's appointment as the seventh substantive vice-chancellor on October 29, which was later nullified by the Federal Ministry of Education on November 1 due to procedural irregularities.
The Governing Council, led by Greg Mbadiwe, faced criticism for appointing Mr. Odoh without adhering to the university's governing laws. Additionally, Rosemary Nwokike, appointed as the university's registrar, was also dismissed. The federal government intervened after tensions arose between the university’s Senate and the Governing Council, highlighting concerns over the council's disregard for proper selection processes.
Mr. Odoh's academic credentials were questioned, particularly his claim of serving as a visiting professor at the Federal University, Gusau, which was refuted by the institution.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other university bodies criticized the appointments as illegal, citing violations in the recruitment process. Despite the university's defense of its actions, the federal government maintained that the appointments were not conducted with the necessary oversight and representation from relevant stakeholders.
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