Embattled and sacked 7th Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), Professor Benard Odoh, has instituted legal actions against the management of Federal University, Gusau (FUGUS) over alleged denial of his professorial appointment and employment status.
In a statement on Wednesday, signed by his Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Charles Otu, he said Odoh instituted the legal action at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), with suit number NICN/ ABJ/ 434/ 2024.
He said, though no date has been fixed for the hearing, Odoh will leave no stone unturned to seek legal redress in a court of competent jurisdiction “on the very weighty and damaging allegations against his person and unblemished records, accusing the management of being in league with politicians to nail and pitch him not just against the academic community, but the rest of Nigeria and the world.”
The statement read: “In the past seventy-two hours or more, the print, broadcast and social media outlets have been flooded with reports emanating from a press conference addressed by the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Gusau, Professor Muazu Abubakar, wherein he claimed that the embattled Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Professor Benard Odoh, was never in the employment of the university and neither was he a tenured professor at the institution.
“He also went further to allege that, “all documents pertaining to Odoh’s claims were fraudulently obtained through administrative fraud working in cahoots with the Registrar and the former Vice-Chancellor of the University”.
“The import of the hefty allegations above, also flowing as an official position after an earlier rejoinder on the same subject matter referencing a Vanguard publication published some hours earlier by the same authorities at the FUGUs, is that any discerning reader who read between the lines could espy that it was masterfully tilted towards scoring what seemed like a political point than a usual factual and academic tone. Perhaps, with counter facts and evidences to the several claims earlier made by Odoh and backed by copious documents already in the public domain, this clear observation may have been viewed differently by the Nigerian public.
“In other words, one strongly suspects that those desperate to rid Odoh out of office and perhaps, further cause him public shame, ridicule and embarrassment are now even more desperate to damage and utterly destroy his academic, social and political reputations in what obviously could be understood as a deliberately orchestrated and mafiaso media trial, similar to what happened to the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, who has now been eventually washed clean by the Court. The sad bane of Nigerian media trial is that once a person’s reputation has been tarnished, it is hardly ever restored even if finally cleared by the courts. This is why we call for diligent checks, confirmations and the professional ensuring of balanced reportage by the Nigerian mass media in this matter.
“In one tone, the management of the institution sounded as though they had a grouse and scores to settle with the pioneer administration led by the former Vice-Chancellor, Professor P. O. Okeke, who employed Odoh, including the pioneer Registrar of FUGUS, Ibrahim Bawa Kaura. In another breath, they sounded like some academic or intellectual ‘terrorists’ who were under intense pressure to achieve a determined end with a perfected script handed over to them; all, desperately desirous to nail Professor Odoh and pitch him not just against the academic community but the rest of Nigeria and the world.”
He added: “All these are pathetically strange and having carefully painted the above background, it is therefore now trite that posers and observations are made before the general public, even as he shall leave no stone unturned to seek legal redress in a court of competent jurisdiction on these very weighty and damaging allegations against his person and unblemished records.
“Professor Odoh wishes to restate his earlier submissions that he was a Staff of the Federal University, Gusau with Staff number: SP. 048. And he was consequently and duly captured for payment of salaries by the Bursary Unit of the institution only after he had met every other condition precedent set out in the terms and conditions of service by the institution. This is evident in his payslips done via the NIPPs by the Federal Ministry of Finance with a payment description which clearly reads: ‘ Salary from the Federal University, Gusau’. He never colluded with the Bursar or any other Staff for that matter as insinuated by the Management of the institution to cause to be paid or for any other matter whatsoever.
“On the claims that, Odoh was not appointed a Professor by the University, it is trite to reassert that he was not only promoted to the apex rank but was duly assessed by three assessors; out of which two are still alive and active, namely: Professors P.O. Okeke (now retired) formerly of UNIZIK and the Enugu State Universities and Isaac Aiyegbogun of Edo State University, Ekpoma. The erudite duo, disturbed by the allegations against Odoh in public domain have separately approached the High Courts in Enugu and Ekpoma respectively and deposed to affidavits attesting to all the processes in my assessment and consequent promotion. All these, which are already Court certified documents would be tendered in the course of our litigation.”