ASUU speaks on controversial appointment of Unizik Vice Chanselor

The union, at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting recently resolved to call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said on Monday that the appointment of Bernard Odoh as the vice-chancellor and Rosemary Nwokike as registrar of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State, is illegal and a mockery of the university system.

The union in a statement by its National President, Emmanuel Osoedeke, a professor, described both appointments by the Greg Mbadiwe-led governing council as a joke.

Mr Osodeke said the appointments violated all known procedures from advertisement, search process, and shortlisting, to selection processes.

The union, at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on 8th – 9th November at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, therefore, resolved to call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter.

“The continued stay in office by these imposed individuals constitutes a deliberate act of provocation and invitation to anarchy at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka,” the statement reads in part.

“Consequently, ASUU calls on the Visitor and President of the Federal Republic to urgently take concrete and decisive steps to restore law and order in NAU. For the avoidance of doubt, ASUU like many other stakeholders at NAU, does not have confidence in the Amb. Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council and the Visitor should urgently intervene to redirect the university on the path of order, law and due process.”

Allegations
ASUU accused Mr Mbadiwe and the governing council of towing the path of “recklessness, lawlessness and impunity” by allegedly ignoring appeals and interventions by the university’s chapter of ASUU, the university senate, MDCAN and the Federal Ministry of Education to remedy the alleged irregularities in the appointments.

The union further noted: “NEC maintains that the current crisis facing NAU stemmed from abuse of the procedures for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor – including the advertisement, the search process, and the shortlisting and selection processes – by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University.

“ASUU views the dictatorial and repressive actions of the Amb. Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council of NAU in the purported appointment of Dr Benard Odoh as Vice-Chancellor and Mrs Rosemary Ifeoma Nwokike as Registrar, a huge joke and a mockery of academia! We insist that the action of the Amb. Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council has no place in the University Law and tradition; it MUST, therefore, be addressed without delay.”

Mr Odoh’s qualification
Commenting on the controversy surrounding Mr Odoh’s professorship, the union noted that Mr Odoh is not a full professor.

“NEC expressed shock that Dr Benard Odoh, who from all available evidence is not a full professor, was purportedly appointed the Vice-Chancellor of NAU by the Amb. Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council in total disregard for the advertised eligibility criteria for the position of a Vice-Chancellor of the University,” it said.

GENCCEE had earlier reported how the appointment of Mr Odoh was riddled with controversy from the selection process to Mr Odoh’s profile.

Mr Odoh was said to have claimed he received his professorship at the Federal University, Gusau (FUGUS), Zamfara State, where he also claimed to be a visiting professor between July 2015 and October 2017. However, the university denied that he ever served within the period. According to a letter from the university’s registry, Mr Odoh was invited to serve in the position at FUGUS but he never resumed.

“Our records show that Dr Ifeanyi Bearnard Odoh was never a staff nor a pioneer head of the Department of Geology. Never showed up in the department or taught any course(s),” a letter signed by a member of the FUGUS registry, Shehu Suleiman, reads.

Another letter from the ASUU-FUGUS added that Mr Odoh was indeed offered a visiting appointment at the university in 2014 but there was no record of him ever assuming duty. The letter, signed by ASUU-FUGUS secretary Alameen Umar, added that the pioneer head of the department was Umar Dambatta, a professor from Ahmadu Bello University and not Mr Odoh.

Mr Odoh recently doubled down on his claim, noting that he was made a professor in 2015 at FUGUS

Meanwhile, the claim appears strange given that he served as the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government between May 2015 and April 2018, raising doubts as to his ability to also serve as an academic within the same period.

Background
Ahead of the selection process, the university chapter of ASUU, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), and the university senate had raised concerns over the criteria spelt out in the advertisement, which excluded some academics from contesting for the position.

Some members of the university also raised concern that the advertisements were specifically tailored to the curriculum vitae of Mr Odoh, even before his appointment was announced.

The MDCAN-NAUTH said the requirements enumerated in the vacancy also deliberately discriminated against academic staff from the faculties of medicine and basic clinical sciences, most of whom do not have the same academic pathway as other academics. The union said the pathway for clinical lecturers goes thus; a first degree, primary fellowship examination, part I fellowship examination and part II (final) fellowship examination leading to the award of a medical fellowship.

Days after the university council interviewed and announced Mr Odoh, the Ministry of Education nullified the appointment, noting that the council conducted the recruitment process “without the representative of the ministry, the internal council members and other stakeholders.”

But the university has responded to the education ministry that it had not violated any extant rules but “adhered strictly to a valid judgement from a competent court, which directed the council to exercise its statutory authority in appointing the vice-chancellor.”

Members of the MDCAN on Monday, therefore, embarked on a seven-day warning strike to protest the alleged exclusion of its members from contesting the position.

EXCERPT

ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES (ASUU)
UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA, GIRI, ABUJA
FESTUS IYAYI NATIONAL SECRETARIAT COMPLEX,
17thNovember, 2024

RESS RELEASE
(ASUU) met on 8th -9
Committees for the selection processes as provided by the law of the University.
2.Arising from the discussion of the festering vice-chancellorship crisis at NAU, NEC
the University. Council in the appointment proceedings as well as the utter disregard for the purported appointment of Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of the University by the
3.NEC noted with grave concern the reported exclusion of internal members of disregard forthe advertised eligibility criteria for the position of a Vice-Chancellor of NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY VICE-CHANCELLORSHIP IMBROGLIO: A
Chancellor of NAU by the Amb. Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council in total
the University.

CALL FOR DECISIVE ACTION BY THE VISITOR
the November, 2024 at the Michael Okpara University of
the country’s university system, including the imbroglioat the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, over the appointment of Vice Chancellor and Registrar for available evidence is not a Full Professor,was purportedly appointed the Vice chanselor
participation of Senate in the nomination of itsrepresentatives into the requisite

1.The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Academic Staff Union of Universities Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State and discussed burning issues affecting NEC further noted the appeals and interventions made without success by the
noted the obvious abuses and breaches of the extant laws and procedures in the
Governing Council. NEC expressed shock that Dr. Benard Odoh,who from all

University’s Chapter of ASUU, Senate of the University, FederalMinistry of
6.NEC further resolved to resist any further act of impunity, lawlessness, violation of due process.

the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Governing Council of the University.
in office by these imposed individuals constitutes a deliberate act of provocation and urgently take concrete and decisive stepto restore law and order in NAU. For the Registrar ofNAU. NEC maintainsthat the current crisis facing NAU stemmedfrom Governing Council of NAU in the purported appointment of Dr. Benard Odoh as avoidance of doubt, ASUU like many other stakeholders at NAU, does not have Education and the Association of Medical and Dental Council to discourage Amb. abuse of the procedures for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor -including the
7.Consequently,ASUUcallson the Visitor and President of the Federal Republic to
4.ASUU views the dictatorial and repressive actions of theAmb. Greg Mbadiwe-led should urgently intervene to redirect the University on the path of order, law and advertisement, the search process, and the shortlisting and selection processes -by the rights of academics andacts ofintimidation and witch-hunt by the pseudo Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council of NAU from the path of recklessness,
invitation to anarchyat the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka.
lawlessness and impunity in the appointment of substantive Vice-Chancellor and Vice Chancellor and Mrs. Rosemary Ifeoma Nwokikeas Registrar a huge joke and a mockery of the academia!We insist that the action of the Amb. Greg Mbadiwe-led
Emmanuel Osodeke Governing Council has no place in the University Law and tradition; it MUST
5.NEC resolved that the appointment of Dr. Benard Odoh, the purported “Vice
17thNovember, 2024
thereforebe addressed without delay.
Chancellor” and Mrs. Rosemary Ifeoma Nwokike, the purported “Registrar” cannot
authorities at NAU.
President
stand, given its illegality and mockery of the university system. The continued stay
confidence in the Amb. Greg Mbadiweled Governing Council, and the Visitor
Thank you.