UNIZIK VCship: ‘You can’t usurp court powers in my appointment’, Dr. Ifeanyi Odoh responds to the Minister of Education
By Naomisophyblog
A recent letter from the Federal Ministry of Education alleging the dissolution of its Governing Council and the dismissal of its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Benard Odoh, has drawn criticism from Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), located in Awka.
The Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, signed the letter, which stated that the decision was made due to alleged violations of university rules and disobedience to instructions.
According to the Ministry, stress and an institution-wide collapse resulted from the Governing Council’s appointment of an unfit Vice-Chancellor.
In response to the aforementioned, Charles Otu, the beleaguered Vice-Chancellor’s Personal Assistant on Media and Publicity, responded in-depth on November 20, 2024, characterizing the Ministry’s activities as a “mischievous” attempt to undermine the university and a grievous attempt to set the institution on fire.
However, Odoh claims that the said letter is contemptuous given that its subject matter is under judicial review: “Incidentally, the Ministry of Education is a party in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/383/2024 and also in Suit No. NICN/ABJ/372/2024 where the legality or otherwise of the appointment of the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University by the Council was submitted to the National Industrial Court to determine, and the Court is yet to make a pronouncement.
“This notwithstanding, the Ministry of Education, without iota of respect to the Court, proceeded and passed its judgment. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is a defendant in the above suits with no counterclaim. This is unprecedented.
The vice chancellor, Odoh, however, stated as follows: “Has there been any crises needless to allude to ‘breakdown of law and order’ in the institution since the subsequent inauguration into office of the Seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University?
“The simple answer is that the Awka temple of knowledge, just like its sister campuses, has been very calm and peaceful, and the Vice-Chancellor has been discharging his duties effectively without rancor. It can even be safe to conclude that the Ministry, ostensibly working for some fifth columnists, may want to ignite or spark crises with its highly dictatorial treatise.
“Again, for the second time in less than three weeks, the Ministry of Education violated the extant provisions of the University’s Act by announcing for the second time a purported removal from office of the Seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor of the university, which we still insist it has no powers to do, not especially when parties are already in the various Courts of Law.
“Top among the many other flaws in the purported’sack letter’ is the fact that even the Council’s Chairman, who was duly appointed with a letter, has not been officially or formally communicated about this purported dissolution.
“Already, the greatest question mark on the integrity of the purported letter is the fact that it never emanated from the President or Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation who issued the council members with appointment letters.
“It was rather strangely endorsed, not by a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry perhaps on behalf of the Honourable Minister but by a Public Relations Director. This obviously casts strong doubts on the genuineness and intent of the said letter.
“We would wish to maintain that hence parties have remained in court; let the issues be expeditiously tested and established by the relevant provisions of our laws,” he stressed.
He, however, called on the general public, particularly members of the university community, to go about their lawful and legitimate businesses and also urged them to as well maintain peace and order in the area.
It further criticized the absence of formal communication with the Governing Council’s chairman, Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe.
The university urged the public and its community to remain calm, insisting that the courts should determine the legality of the actions taken by the Ministry.
“Let peace continue to reign supreme in our revered citadel of learning,” the statement concluded.
The university reiterated its commitment to upholding the rule of law and called for an expedited resolution of the matter through judicial processes.
