The battle for the true academic status of the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh’s professorship took another dimension as Federal University, Gusau has owned up to promoting Odoh to the rank of Professor on October 1, 2015.
A certified true copy of the appointment letter dated 12th November, 2015 and signed by the Registrar and Secretary to Council of Federal University, Gusau at the time, Ibrahim B. Kaura was published by Unizik authorities.
Kaura was the pioneer Registrar of the University from 2013-2018.
The letter stated among other things that: “the university management having received a favourable assessment reports from the three the assesors has taken into consideration and approved that you should be promoted to the post of Professor in Geological Sciences on CONUAS Step 1 with effect from Ist October, 2015”.
According to the information, before Odoh’s appointment to full professorship at Federal University Gusau, he was appointed a Visiting Professor in 2014 in the same university.
Names of external assessors who assessesed Odoh for his professorship were listed as: Professors P. O . Okeke , formerly of the Department of Geology and Mining, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) who is also a Consultant on National Assignment with the Federal Ministry of Power and Prof Aigbedion Isaac of Geophysics Department , Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma , Edo State among others.
Perhaps, the icing on the cake in the evidence proffered to back Odoh’s story is that the appointment and assessment took place when Professor Benjamin Chukwuma Okeke, popularly known as Ben Chuks, also of Nnamdi Azikiwe University was the Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau.
The Unizik authority also faulted national president of Academic Staff Union of Univeristies (ASUU) Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke on a statement he signed after a meeting of the body in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umuahia in which Osedeke condemned the selection process.
The university beleived that Osodeke was deceived to take the stand by “some desperate persons from unizik using ASUU platform to pursue selfish agenda after loosing out in the VCship contest.
“They are the people hiding under the banner of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to pour invectives on the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University” the authorities”.
The authorities said the traducers were also responsible for a fake letter that circulated in social media claiming that Odoh was never a staff of the university.
The authorities also denied ASUU claims that the appointments of the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the University did not follow the approved guidelines saying that the Registrar of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, a legal practitioner of repute had before now clarified that the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of the university by the Governing Council followed due process and extant rules governing the process as outlined in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Act , Cap 139 (as amended) , LFN 2004 and in accordance with Section 6(a) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Standing Orders of the Governing Council.
“The selection process was conducted in a rigorous manner to ensure that only the most suitable candidate was chosen. There were oral interviews and assessment of the candidates on relevant criteria relevant to the role and on the conclusion of all interviews, the Governing Council reconvened to consider the selection committee’s recommendation.
“These processes were meticulously applied in the selection of both the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar while there was a collective consensus of choice among the Council Members: it added.
The university authorities urged “those still fanning the embers of crisis in the university to sheath their sword and join the Vice Chancellor in executing his well-articulated.
