In a press statement, Prof. Bernard Odoh, the recently ousted vice-chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, has rejected his removal.
Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesman, announced Odoh’s removal and that of the university’s governing council in a statement on Wednesday. The statement alleged that Odoh’s appointment as VC was illegitimate, alleging a violation of due process.
“The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process,” the statement read.
However, in an interview on Arise TV on Thursday, Odoh argued that his removal required an investigation and recommendations by the governing council, rather than a press release.
He said, “I’m not disobeying Mr President, but it is the governing council that will recommend my sack after investigating me,” adding that “Mr President could have been ill-advised.”
“You can’t fire somebody you didn’t employ. The Visitor (Tinubu) appointed the council and the council followed due process to engage and give me a letter. He can’t remove me through a press release.”
“There was no panel of inquiry. I was not appointed through a press release but rather by a constituted authority which followed a straightforward procedure,” he added.
Addressing allegations about his qualifications, Odoh dismissed claims that his professorship was invalid. He revealed that a former university registrar had verified his records in court and accused detractors of tampering with his documents.
Odoh also criticized the minister of education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for preemptively announcing his removal despite pending court cases challenging the issues surrounding his appointment.
“Those matters are yet to be determined, and now the minister jumped the gun on a matter the Federal Ministry of Education is a party to as defendants. The court hasn’t ruled on this matter. So, I don’t see a basis for all of this noise,” he noted.
The former VC suggested that regional bias contributed to his dismissal, stating, “I’m from Ebonyi State, regarded as a ‘third-class’ state. People have ganged up to remove me at all costs.”
Odoh pledged to continue ensuring smooth operations and accreditation at the university, warning that the Federal Ministry of Education’s actions risk creating a crisis on campus.