Bernard Odoh has accused President Bola Tinubu of removing him as the Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State, without following due process.
Tinubu had approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of UNIZIK and the removal of Odoh as the Vice-Chancellor of the university.
The president also sacked the institution’s Registrar, Rosemary Ifoema Nwokik.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who announced this in a statement on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, said the sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.
Onanuga stated: “After the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address tensions between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the 23-year-old institution.
“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process.”
Reacting to his removal in an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, November 21, Odoh said it was wrong for the president to sack him as UNIZIK VC via a press release since he was not appointed as Vice-Chancellor through a press release.
Tinubu dissolves varsity Governing Council, sacks VC, Registrar
Odoh stressed that he is qualified to occupy the position of UNIZIK Vice-Chancellor, adding that his appointment followed due process.
He said: “I’m qualified for this position. Three assessors assessed me. I became a professor on October 1, 2015.
“I applied for the position. I applied and was appointed. I’m not imposing myself on the institution. But the issue of not being a professor is all lies. People paid to remove my records from a university.
“I’m not disobeying Mr. President, but it is the governing council that will recommend my sack.
“There was no panel of inquiry. I was not appointed through a press release. The visitor (Tinubu) has not invited me to hear my side of the story.”
Odoh further disclosed that the case against his appointment is before the Federal High Court in Abuja and an Industrial Court.
Odoh stated that Tinubu should have waited for the verdict of the courts before removing him as UNIZIK VC.
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