Inside controversies trailing recruitment, appointment of UNIZIK Vice Chancellor

The recent appointment of Bernard Odoh as the substantive vice-chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State is rife with controversy, ranging from the recruitment process to the appointee’s profile.

The university’s governing council, led by Greg Mbadiwe, last week, announced Mr Odoh, a professor of geophysics, as the 7th substantive vice-chancellor of the university, hours after interviewing him for the position at Maxbe Continental Hotel in Awka.

However, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and the institution’s chapter of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) alleged irregularities in both the announcement of vacancy and recruitment. The unions also said the appointment of Mr Odoh is prejudicial as the matter was already before a court.

A new twist has now been added to the controversy as the Federal Ministry of Education on Friday nullified the appointment. The education ministry has also directed the council to halt further appointments until the new education ministers assume office.

“It has come to the attention of the ministry that your council had gone ahead to appoint a vice chancellor for the university without the representative of the ministry, the internal council members and other stakeholders on Tuesday, 29th October 2024. This is a gross disregard to constituted authority and is not in line with extant provisions,” R.G Ilyasu wrote the chairperson of the council, Mr Mbadiwe, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Nasir Gwarzo. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, was dated 1st November.

“Against this backdrop, I am directed to inform you that all appointments made so far are null and void.”

But the university has responded to the education ministry that it had not violated any extant rules but “adhered strictly to a valid judgement from a competent court, which directed the council to exercise its statutory authority in appointing the vice-chancellor.”

The university’s response, also obtained by this newspaper, was also dated 1 November and signed by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, R.I Nwokike.

How it all started

Mr Mbadiwe-led council, on 12 September, put out a vacancy for the position of the vice-chancellor for the university.

Two days later, the university chapter of ASUU wrote to the council requesting the withdrawal of the vacancy and halt other appointments until the council was properly constituted. According to ASUU, the only members of the council at the time were the five government-appointed members and the acting Vice-Chancellor, Carol Arinze-Umobi, who was also appointed by the council.

“Recall sir, that we had, through a letter (on) 10 September 2024, expressed our deep concern regarding the delay in properly constituting the university’s governing council, and our resolve not to accept any action(s) incongruous with the extant rule governing the council and university operations,” the union wrote in the letter signed by its Chairperson, Kingsley Ubaoji.

Meanwhile, the MDCAN-NAUTH said the requirements enumerated in the vacancy also deliberately discriminated against academic staff from the faculties of medicine and basic clinical sciences, most of whom do not have the same academic pathway as other academics. The union said the pathway for clinical lecturers goes thus; a first degree, primary fellowship examination, part I fellowship examination and part II (final) fellowship examination leading to the award of a medical fellowship.

In a 17 September letter addressed to the acting vice-chancellor, MDCAN-NAUTH said the advertisement has a prerequisite of a PhD of 15 years without including a postgraduate medical fellowship of 15 years, thereby excluding its members.

“This advert deliberately excludes all our members in the faculties of medicine and basic clinical sciences,” part of the letter signed by the MDCAN-NAUTH Chairperson, Victor Modekwe, and Secretary, Sunday Oriji, reads.

The advertisement, reviewed by this newspaper, specifically requested applicants to have “good first degree, a master’s degree and a PhD in relevant fields offered by the university.”

The requirements also include a candidate who obtained a PhD at least 15 years prior to the advertisement, a professor with at least nine years of experience, one with at least 10 years of service within the university, and one who have demonstrated a “proven track record of securing substantial research funding, including attracting no less than N400 million and a history of successfully obtaining research grants and other resources to enhance the university’s research capabilities, recorded prior to this advert.”

Oddly specific requirements

“The advert they brought out was someone’s CV,” Mr Modekwe told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview.

He said the requirements were suspiciously specific to the profile of only one person – Mr Odoh, who was later appointed. He said the union had long suspected this since the advert was put out and the appointment has confirmed their suspicion.

Mr Modekwe wondered why the years of professorship were oddly placed at nine and not rounded figures like 5, 10 or 15. He said the emphasis placed on a Ph.D of 15 years and a N400 million grant also suspiciously tallied with Mr Odoh’s profile.

“I’m sure you have a degree in university, the BSc or BA you have, don’t get better after two years. The degree is a degree, you may improve by experience or exposure and training, but the degree does not change, so to say the number of years of your degree is funny,” he said.

University spokesman speaks

When questioned about the advert placed before the council was fully formed, university spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, claimed the council chair is capable of making decisions on behalf of other council members.

“If the pro-chancellor approves anything, he has the right to approve on behalf of the council,” he told PREMIUM TIMES via telephone.

Mr Ojuwku insists no one was sidelined in the recruitment process, adding that the criteria were channelled to the direction the council wants for the university.

He said: “The 21st century university is a university that thinks outside the box. How can you raise money to raise the university, not depending on the government because the government is no more forthcoming, the government cannot do it alone.

“So the council is of the view that the direction of the university must be a direction where we will do university industry collaboration so that we can raise money to run the university.”

Legal battle

When their pleas fell on deaf ears, the MDCAN instituted a lawsuit on 25 October at the National Industrial Court in Abuja to challenge the recruitment process.

“Take further notice that any further action taken by the university in itself or through any of its agents and/or representative on the appointment of a new vice chancellor of the university would be regarded as a total disregard of the judiciary and our entire justice system…,” MDCAN-NAUTH lawyers, J.I Ekeoma and Co, wrote the university council on 25 October.

The MDCAN, however, only got an injunction to restrict the council from further action on 30 October, a day after the interview and announcement of the new vice chancellor was made.

Meanwhile, during a meeting held on 16 October, the university senate received the grievances of the MDCAN-NAUTH and resolved that the advert put out without the involvement of a properly constituted senate in the council should be corrected to include “PhD or its equivalent”, administrative experience such as head of department, dean of faculty, director, provost, or deputy vice chancellor as well as the removal of the N400 million amount.

ASUU-NAU wrote the council again on 21 October, to request an urgent review of the advertisement to review the limiting “masters-PhD pathway” and benchmark grants of N400 million among others.

“It is our belief that the current criteria may inadvertently exclude highly qualified candidates who possess exceptional administrative and academic expertise. By revising the criteria, we can ensure a more inclusive and merit-based selection process,” the union wrote.

Suspicious profile

Mr Odoh, who was later announced as the vice chancellor was said to have claimed in his curriculum vitae that he was a visiting professor at the Federal University, Gusau (FUGUS), Zamfara State. PREMIUM TIMES could not obtain the curriculum vitae he submitted for the recruitment. However, his profile on the university’s website said he served as a visiting professor at FUGUS between July 2015 and October 2017.

But FUGUS has denied that he ever served within the period. According to a letter from the university registry, Mr Odoh was invited to serve in the position at FUGUS but he never resumed.

“Our records show that Dr Ifeanyi Bearnard Odoh was never a staff nor a pioneer head of the department of Geology. Never showed up in the department or taught any course(s),” a letter signed by a member of the FUGUS registry, Shehu Suleiman, reads.

Another letter from the ASUU-FUGUS added that Mr Odoh was indeed offered a visiting appointment at the university in 2014 but there was no record of him ever assuming duty. The letter, signed by ASUU-FUGUS secretary, Alameen Umar, added that the pioneer head of department was Umar Dambatta, a professor, from Ahmadu Bello University and not Mr Odoh.

Meanwhile, the claim appears strange given that he served as the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government between May 2015 and April 2018, raising doubts as to his ability to also serve as an academic within the same period.

PREMIUM TIMES, on Monday, contacted Mr Odoh to clarify the controversy surrounding his professorship and visiting role at FUGUS.

But he did not respond to several calls seeking his comments.

For several hours, he also did not respond to a text message seeking his comments.

Recruitment, interview continued unhindered

Despite all these concerns, however, the university council continued with the recruitment process, inviting candidates for interview last Tuesday. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the interview was held at Maxbe Continental Hotel in Awka.

Later that Tuesday, the university announced the appointment of Mr Odoh as the substantive vice chancellor of the university.

The university’s spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, claimed “no one was sidelined” in the recruitment process.

Mr Ojukwu told PREMIUM TIMES via telephone that over 12 candidates were invited for the interview. He listed some of the interviewed applicants to include Chukwuemeka Ezeonu, Alex Asigbo, Chukwusoro Igwe, all professors.