The Federal University Gusau (FUG) in Zamfara State has disavowed claims by the recently dismissed Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, regarding his employment and professorial status at the institution.
Speaking in Gusau, FUG Vice-Chancellor Prof. Muazu Abubakar stated unequivocally that Dr. Odoh was neither employed by the university nor appointed as a professor. He described documents supporting Odoh’s purported employment as fraudulent.
Allegations of Fraud
Prof. Abubakar detailed irregularities surrounding Odoh’s claims:
Odoh allegedly collaborated with FUG’s former Vice-Chancellor and Registrar to fabricate appointment and promotion letters.
The letters, dated 2015, were certified in 2024, six years after the Registrar’s disengagement from the university.
Odoh reportedly appeared on FUG’s payroll from July 2014 to August 2015 without fulfilling any academic duties.
The Vice-Chancellor denounced the “shoddy and fraudulent” actions as a violation of due process.
Government Action on UNIZIK
Odoh’s dismissal follows President Bola Tinubu’s decision to dissolve UNIZIK’s Governing Council. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga cited the council’s unlawful appointment of an unqualified vice-chancellor as the basis for the action.
This development underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to upholding accountability and transparency in Nigeria’s higher education institutions.
