- The institution stressed that there is no evidence of official documentation with regards to his controversial employment as a staff of the Federal University Gusau.
- It added that Dr. Odoh was neither employed by the University nor appointed as a professor.
The Federal University, Gusau (FUGUS) in Zamfara has said that Bernard Odoh, the sacked vice-chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), fraudulently obtained his professorship.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu dissolved UNIZIK’s governing council and sacked its vice-chancellor and registrar on Wednesday.
Odoh was labeled “unqualified” for the vice-chancellor role, according to Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president.
The governing council’s illegal appointment of an unqualified vice-chancellor sparked the sacking, Onanuga’s statement revealed.
However, Odoh argued that his removal was unjust, stressing that his appointment wasn’t made through a press release.
He claimed to be qualified for the position and that his appointment followed due process.
Odoh also stated that his case is before the federal high court in Abuja and an industrial court.
He also stated that Tinubu and Education Minister Tunji Alausa should have awaited the courts’ verdict before removing him.
Odoh accused Tinubu of sparking a crisis at UNIZIK by leaving the university without a vice-chancellor, governing council, and registrar.
FUGUS Registrar Yakubu Anivbassa stated that documents presented by Odoh were “products of administrative fraud”.
The FUGUS management claimed Odoh “was never a staff member of the university” and his claims are “tissues of lies and misinformation”.
Anivbassa emphasized that certification of public documents requires payment of fees, a certified true copy, and adherence to the Evidence Act, 2011.
He noted that Bawa, having left FUGUS in 2018, has “no locus” to certify university documents.
Anivbassa concluded that the certified true copies of Odoh’s documents, endorsed by Bawa, are illegal and have no effect.