How sacked UNIZIK VC fraudulently obtained professorship – University
The Federal University Gusau (FUG), Zamfara State, has publicly disowned the recently sacked Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, over claims of fraudulent acquisition of his professorship.
Addressing journalists in Gusau, FUG Vice-Chancellor, Professor Muazu Abubakar, clarified that Dr. Odoh had never been a tenured professor or legitimate staff member of the university. He described Odoh’s alleged professorship as a product of administrative fraud, facilitated by the institution’s former Vice-Chancellor and Registrar.
Prof. Abubakar disclosed that Odoh never submitted an acceptance letter for his purported appointment, completed statutory documentation, or taught any course during his alleged tenure.
While Odoh had been engaged as a visiting linkage staff in the Geology Department in 2014, he neither assumed duties nor followed proper employment procedures.
Documents purportedly confirming Odoh’s professorship, dated 2015 and certified as true copies in 2024, were described as fraudulent. These documents were allegedly endorsed by Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, FUG’s former Registrar, years after his disengagement from the university.
“The so-called letters and certifications are products of administrative fraud orchestrated by Dr. Odoh in collaboration with the former Vice-Chancellor and Registrar,” Prof. Abubakar stated.
Further investigation revealed that the former Registrar impersonated the current Registrar to authenticate Odoh’s falsified documents using a forged university stamp. Prof. Abubakar emphasised that such actions violated institutional rules and due process.
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“There is no evidence to support Dr. Odoh’s claim of being a tenured professor in our institution. His actions are nothing more than the antics of a desperate individual trying to legitimise his ambitions through deception,” he added.
Dr. Odoh’s dismissal comes on the heels of a directive by President Bola Tinubu, which dissolved UNIZIK’s Governing Council over alleged irregularities in Odoh’s appointment as Vice-Chancellor. A statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga cited violations of due process in the appointment.
The unfolding scandal highlights concerns over administrative integrity in Nigerian universities. FUG’s management has vowed to uphold its reputation by ensuring accountability in all employment processes.
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