By Habeeb Ibrahim
The Federal University Gusau, located in Zamfara State, has distanced itself from Dr. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, the recently sacked Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikwe University (UNIZIK), Awka. The university claims Dr. Odoh never worked as a professor there, stating that his professorship was fraudulently obtained.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Gusau, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Gusau, Professor Muazu Abubakar, clarified that Dr. Odoh was never employed by the university and was not appointed as a professor. He denounced the documents Dr. Odoh has been circulating—dated April and November 2015—claiming to show an appointment and promotion to professorship as fraudulent. These letters, which Dr. Odoh presented as certified copies, were supposedly endorsed in 2024, six years after the former registrar’s departure from the university.
Professor Abubakar stated that Dr. Odoh’s claims lacked official documentation, and the university records show no evidence of an appointment. He explained that Dr. Odoh had been engaged as a visiting staff member in the Department of Geology from July 2014 to August 2015, but did not teach any courses or assume duties, despite being placed on the payroll.
The Vice Chancellor further accused Dr. Odoh of collaborating with the former Vice Chancellor and Registrar in orchestrating this fraudulent scheme. He condemned the actions of the former Registrar, who allegedly forged a stamp to certify the fake documents.
“The whole process was a blatant violation of the university’s rules,” said Professor Abubakar. “Dr. Odoh is not and has never been a tenured staff at the Federal University Gusau, and his claims are nothing more than desperate attempts to use the university’s name to further his ambitions.”
This announcement follows the recent removal of Dr. Odoh as Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK by President Bola Tinubu, who also dissolved the university’s Governing Council. Dr. Odoh’s sacking came after reports that his appointment had been made in violation of due process, with questions raised about his qualifications.
The Federal University Gusau has now emphasized that there is no record of Dr. Odoh’s professorship, dismissing his claims as fraudulent and lacking any legal standing.
