The 7th Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK), Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh who was booted out of office for sundry reasons has dragged the Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) to court for denying that it made him Professor, thereby exposing him to public ridicule and odium.

It will be recalled that Odoh?s professorship was disputed by his traducers, coupled with the alleged unacceptable appointment procedures which lead to his sack by the Federal Government.

A statement on Wednesday, signed by his Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Charles Otu, said Odoh instituted the legal action at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), with suit number NICN/ ABJ/ 434/ 2024.

Although no date has yet been fixed for hearing Odoh said he 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?.

He accused the management of FUGUS 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.?

Part of 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?.

?In the case of Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi, the university notes as follows: That he did not submit any letter of acceptance of offer of appointment, that he did not undergo the statutory documentation, that even though Dr. Odoh was engaged as a visiting linkage staff in the Department of Geology of the university, and dubiously enrolled into the institution?s payroll from July 2014 to August 2015, he neither assumed duty nor taught any course since the inception of the department in the 2014/2015 academic session.?

According to him, ?The so-called letters of offer of tenure of appointment as professor and confirmation of promotion to the post of professor, dated 30th April 2015 and 12th November 2015, being paraded by Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi and purported to be certified true copies hurriedly endorsed by Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, former registrar of the Federal University, dated November 8, 2024, six solid years after the latter left the services of the Federal University Gusau, are products of administrative fraud orchestrated by Dr. Odoh, working in cahoots with the former vice chancellor of the university and the registrar?.

Odoh denied all the allegations and claims that the Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau Professor Muazu Abubakar and vowed to prove his case in court.

He re-stated his stand 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?.

As for whether he was employed by Federal University, Gusau, or not, Odoh gave his Staff number as: SP. 048.

He also deposed that he was duly capture (Daily Independent)

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