After weeks of intrigue, a former registrar Federal University of Gusau in Zamfara state, Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, recently laid to rest misinformation about the non-qualification of the 7th vice chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) Prof Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh. PAUL OKAH reports.
At last, the controversies generated by the appointment of Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh as the 7th vice chancellor (VC), Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) on October 29 may be coming to an end with the confirmation of his professorship by a former registrar of the Federal University of Gusau (FUGUS), Ibrahim Bawa Kaura.
It could be recalled that many interested parties had kicked against Odoh’s appointment with interested parties going as far as insinuating that he was not a professor, hence does not merit the appointment.
Odoh, an alumnus of UNIZIK, graduated from the Department of Geological Sciences in 1999 and later obtained his PhD in 2008. Before his appointment, he served as a member of UNIZIK’s Senate from 2010 to 2014 and was special assistant to a former VC on Academic Matters.
Upon assumption of office on November 5, he promised to embark on changes in the institution even though many of his traducers vowed that he would be kicked out of office, especially with the dusts raised regarding his qualifications.
Education ministry vs UNIZIK management
Following his appointment as UNIZIK VC and in a letter obtained by Blueprint dated November 1 2024, the Ministry of Education, through the Department of University Education referenced FME/HE/CU/82/302, addressed to the pro-chancellor/chairman of council of UNIZIK declared the appointment null and void.
The letter, signed by Mrs R G Ilyasu on behalf of the permanent secretary, stated that the university council’s action disregarded constituted authority and extant provisions by appointing a VC without the ministry’s representative, internal council members and other stakeholders.
However, in a reply dated November 1 2024, the registrar/secretary to the council of UNIZIK, Barr R I Nwokike said there was no protocol broken in Odoh’s appointment as due processes were meticulously followed throughout the selection and appointment processes for both the VC and registrar.
Former registrar’s confirmation of Odoh’s professorship
In a Certified True Copy (CTC) obtained by Blueprint dated November 9 2024, it shows thst the management of FUGUS had written to Professor Odoh on November 12, 2015 confirming his appointment as professor in Geological Sciences with effect from October 1, 2015.
The letter, with reference number: FUGUS/R/PL/SP.48/1/33, titled: ‘Promotion to the Position of Professor’, was signed by Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, pioneer and former registrar of FUGUS (February 2013 to February, 2018) but now working as college secretary, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
The letter reads in part, “I have the pleasure to inform you that having received a favourable assessment reports from the three assessors, the university management has taken that into consideration and approved that you should be promoted to the post of professor in Geological Sciences on CONUASS 7 Step 1 (i.e. N4,591,149.00 per annum) with effect from 1st October, 2015.”
Similarly, in a CTC obtained on June 20 2016, the VC of FUGUS, Professor Magaji Garba, in a memorandum to council, ratified the promotion of Odoh to the rank of a professor.
The memorandum reads, “Dr Odoh Benard Ifeanyi is a reader in Geological Sciences, Department of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Federal University Gusau. Dr Ifeanyi has vast experiences as a lecturer with Nnamdi Azikwe University Awka before joining this university.
“His publications and Curriculum Vitae were then sent to three External Assessors for assessment. The university has received all the three assessments as follows: First assessor’s recommendation (Prof Ekwueze Emeka E, University of Calabar) stated that, ‘From the assessment and Curriculum Vitae, Dr Odoh Benard Ifeanyi scored 170 points, which is much more than the required minimum of 110 points for promotion to the rank of professor. It is my pleasure, therefore, to strongly recommend Dr Odoh Benard Ifeanyi for promotion to the rank of professor in Geological Sciences.’
“The second assessor’s recommendation (Professor P O Okeke, University of Nigeria, Nsukka stated that, ‘Dr Odoh Benard Ifeanyi has shown positive development in research and publication and considering the qualities in all the parameters he possesses, I strongly recommend Dr Odoh Benard Ifeanyi to the rank of professor in Geological Sciences.’
“The third assessor’s recommendation (Professor Isaac Aigbedion, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma) says that, ‘Dr Odoh Benard Ifeanyi’s CV reflects the experience/involvement in national and international development. I must emphasise that Dr Benard has demonstrated clearly his academic potential in the areas of Geophysics and Geology where he has 98% of his publication. In view of the foregoing, I strongly recommend him for the rank of professor in Geological sciences.’
“Council may therefore wish to consider and ratify his promotion to professor in Geological Sciences with effect from October 1, 2015.”
Avalanche of evidences
While responding to a letter from UNIZIK management on November 7, 2024 with reference number: NAU/REG/88G/Vol. V/84 requesting for certification and authentication of Odoh’s professorial appointment, Kaura, in a letter dated November 11 2024, tendered an avalanche of evidences to support his confirmation that Odoh was indeed appointed a professor in 2015.
The letter reads in part: “Being the pioneer registrar, Federal University Gusau, Zamfara state from February 18, 2013 to February 17 2018, I write to the best of my knowledge to certify that since the establishment of the university in 2013, Professor Benard feanyi Odoh was engaged by then pioneer vice chancellor, (FUGUS) Professor Benchuks Okeke to assist the university in a smooth take-off. In July 2014, Professor Odoh was given Visiting Appointment in the Department of Geological Sciences and later in April 2015, his appointment was converted to Tenure Appointment as Professor of Geological Sciences, but subject to external assessment.
“The pioneer VC, Professor Okeke, in confidentiality, sent the assessment papers of Professor Odoh to three External Assessors and after few months, the assessments came back positively and it was on that basis that Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh was fully confirmed as professor of Geological Sciences with effect from October 1, 2015.
“In May 2015, Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh was appointed as secretary to Ebonyi state government. In view of that development, he wrote to the university requesting for leave of absence for which the VC, Professor Okeke, approved with effect from May 29, 2015.”
Kaura stated further that, “I supposed all the above listed information must be in the official staff file SP 48 of Professor Benard Heanyi Odoh domiciled in the Registry and Bursary Departments (FUGUS) apart from the hardcover notebook that contains names and original copies of the assessments of those that their assessments were sent to External Assessors. The hardcover notebook and the returned original assessments are domiciled in either Office of the Vice Chancellor or Registrar of the university.
“On a final note, I write to confirm that Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh was engaged into the university since 2013 and later as staff of the Federal University Gusau from 2014 up to the time my tenure expired in 2018 as the registrar.
Court affidavits
To drive the evidence home, Kaura swore an affidavit at the Sokoto State High Court of Justice on November 8, 2024 certifying the documents issued with regards to Odoh’s professorial appointment as true copies.
Similarly, Professor Okeke, who was the second external assessor for the promotion of Odoh to the rank of a professor in 2015, also swore an affidavit at the Enugu State High Court on November 8 2024, certifying he followed a thorough evaluation of Odoh’s publications and curriculum vitae and after the assessment, recommended him for advancement to the rank of professor in his chosen field of Applied Geophysics.
Furthermore, it was gathered that the third external assessor, Prof Aigbedion Isaac, on November 8 2024, swore an affidavit at the Edo State High Court of Justice that after a careful consideration, he recommended Odoh’s elevation to the rank of a professor at the Federal University, Gusau and that the letter of his assessment was forwarded to then VC, Prof Okeke in 2015.
With all these evidences, it is expected that the contentious issues arising from Prof Odoh’s appointment as VC UNIZIK would have been laid to rest for the university to move on in the comity of other leading universities in Nigeria.