Federal University Gusau Disowns Sacked UNIZIK VC, Bernard Odoh, Over False Professorship Claim
The Federal University, Gusau in Zamfara State, has dissociated itself from claims by the sacked Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Bernard Odoh, asserting that he was never employed as a professor at the institution.
This clarification was made by the Vice Chancellor of FUGUS, Prof. Muazu Abubakar, during an emergency press conference on Thursday.
Abubakar stated that Odoh “has neither served as a professor at the Federal University of Gusau nor did the university ever employ him.” He also described letters allegedly showing Odoh’s appointment and confirmation as a professor as “products of administrative fraud.”
According to Abubakar, these documents were purportedly certified by the former Registrar of the University, Ibrahim Kaura, but were dated November 8, 2024, six years after Kaura had left the university.
The FUGUS VC noted that recent media reports have been rife with controversies surrounding Odoh’s tenure as the Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK, particularly his claim that he was offered tenure and confirmed as a professor at FUGUS.
“Part of the issues that have generated serious attention is the misleading and unfounded claim by Dr. Odoh that he was offered a tenure appointment and confirmed as a professor by the Federal University Gusau.
“The university management, after a thorough internal scrutiny, issued a disclaimer to the effect that Dr. Odoh was neither employed by the university nor appointed as a professor.
“Despite the disclaimer, Dr. Odoh has been unrelenting, parading documents purportedly issued by the university as proof of his non-existent employment,” he said.
Abubakar lamented the reputational damage caused by the misinformation, describing the situation as an affront to the credibility of the institution.
Recall that, President Bola Tinubu dissolved the UNIZIK Governing Council and removed its newly appointed VC Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Nwokike.
However, Odoh maintained that he won’t accept his removal through a press release but rather after the recommendations of an investigating council.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities welcomed Tinubu’s decision to sack the embattled VC and the UNIZIK governing board.
The union’s reaction comes on the heels of Odoh’s appointment as the seventh substantive UNIZIK VC by the varsity’s governing council, led by its pro-Chancellor and chairman, Greg Mbadiwe, in late October.
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