- Questions why letter wasn’t authorise by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
- Odoh claimed that the ministry was engaging in an alleged usurpation of powers
Bernard Odoh has broken his silence on his removal from office as the vice-chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (NAU) in Anambra State.
Odoh had emerged as the seventh substantive vice-chancellor of the university on 29 October.
However, his appointment, recruitment processes and academic profile were greeted by controversies which prompted his dismissal.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu sacked Odoh as the university’s vice-chancellor on Wednesday, 20th of November.
Tinubu also dissolved the university’s Governing Council for “illegally” appointing “an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.”
Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to Mr Tinubu on Information and Strategy, announced the dissolution in a statement on Wednesday.
The director of the Federal Ministry of Education’s press and public relations unit, Boriowo Folashade also announced the sacking of the vice-chancellor and the dissolution of the institution’s Governing Council in a separate statement on Wednesday.
But, reacting in a statement on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Charles Otu, Mr Odoh suggested that Mr Tinubu did not authorise his removal and the dissolution of the Governing Council.
“Already, the greatest question mark on the integrity of the purported letter is the fact that it never emanated from the President or Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation who issued the council members with appointment letters.
“It was rather strangely endorsed, not by a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, perhaps on behalf of the Honourable Minister, but by a Public Relations Director. This obviously casts strong doubts on the genuineness and intents of the said letter,” he stated.
The university professor was replying to the press statement from the education ministry even as Mr Onanuga, the special adviser to Mr Tinubu on Information and Strategy, also issued a similar statement.
Mr Odoh claimed that the ministry was engaging in an alleged usurpation of powers, given that only President Tinubu has the power to sack him or dissolve the Governing Council.
He stressed that it was improper for the ministry to accuse the Governing Council of breaching procedures and lawful directives without formally inviting them for questioning regarding the appointment of the vice-chancellor.
He contended that despite a “mountain of evidence,” the ministry had continued to insist that the “council unilaterally appointed” him as the vice-chancellor of the institution.
Mr Odoh also said some lawsuits challenging his emergence as vice-chancellor were still pending at the National Industrial Court in Awka and that the ministry announced his sack even when the court was yet to deliver its judgement.
“Why is the ministry now desperately trying to also usurp the powers of the courts of competent jurisdictions in our land before whom are multiple lawsuits on this matter by running into a conclusion without evidence?
“Even when the vice-chancellor has made his academic credentials public, why is the ministry still referring to him as ‘unqualified?’” he said.
He stressed that contrary to the ministry’s claim, there had not been any crisis in the university.
“It can even be safe to conclude that the Ministry, ostensibly working for some fifth columnists, may want to ignite or spark crises with its highly dictatorial treatise,” he said.
‘You violated the university’s Act’
Mr Odoh accused the education ministry of violating the extant provisions of the University’s Act by announcing his removal for a second time.
“Top among the many other flaws in the purported ‘sack letter’ is the fact that even the Council’s Chairman, who was duly appointed with a letter, has not been officially or formally communicated about this purported dissolution,” he said.
The sacked vice-chancellor suggested that despite his removal, he would not vacate office until the court ruled otherwise.
“We would wish to maintain that hence parties have remained in court, let the issues be expeditiously tested and established by the relevant provisions of our laws,” he said.
“The general public and particularly members of the university community are advised to go about their lawful and legitimate businesses as they have always maintained.”