BREAKING: President Tinubu Sacks Nnamdi Azikiwe University Governing Council, Newly Appointed Vice-Chancellor Bernard Odoh And Registrar

President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, the new vice-chancellor, and Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike, the registrar.

The council, led by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, included five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, and Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.

The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said, “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.”

“The Federal Government reiterated that the primary responsibility of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of university activities in accordance with the act establishing each university.

“President Tinubu warned the councils not to create distractions in their universities as his government is focused on improving the country's education standards,” it added.

Earlier on Wednesday, SaharaReporters reported that President Tinubu was set to dissolve the Governing Council of the university following the contentious appointment of Bernard Odoh as vice-chancellor.

The controversy surrounding Odoh's appointment stems from allegations of false claims in his academic profile, including a disputed stint as a visiting professor at the Federal University, Gusau.

The university's chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria had previously raised concerns about irregularities in the appointment process.

The Federal Ministry of Education nullified Odoh's appointment on November 1, 2024, citing the governing council's failure to include ministry representatives and other stakeholders in the selection process.

On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Anambra State appointed Odoh as the 7th substantive vice-chancellor of the school.

Odoh’s election process had been dogged by controversy from the start.

During the selection process, the school’s Senate resolved not to further participate in the selection of the university’s vice-chancellor and similar selections until the criteria published in the Vanguard Newspaper of September 12, 2024 for the selection were corrected in a well-advertised corrigendum.

The Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State earlier denied claims that Odoh was awarded professorship or had any academic ties with the school.

This clarification followed claims that Odoh became a professor at Federal University Gusau around 2015.

However, the university clarified that Odoh never served as a staff member or pioneer head of its geology department nor did he teach any courses.

The declaration made by the Federal University Gusau followed an inquiry made by Kingsley Awuka Esq, Principal Partner at Awuka, Okafor & Partners.

But Odoh countered the Federal University Gusau in over the allegations surrounding his professorship.

Odoh, in a statement made available to SaharaReporters by his Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, Charles Otu, debunked the Federal University Gusau’s claim that he was not awarded professorship or had any academic ties with the institution. He explained his activities in the institution and the process through which he was awarded professorship by the university.

Amid the controversy following Odoh’s appointment, the Federal Ministry of Education declared Odoh’s appointment as null and void in a letter addressed to the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman of Council by Mrs. R. G. Ilyasu for the Permanent Secretary of the ministry.

In the letter dated November 1, the ministry said it had been agreed that there would be no appointments without reconciliation with the aggrieved parties of the school.