By Milcah Tanimu
The Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) has disowned Bernard Odoh, the recently sacked Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), accusing him of fabricating documents to claim a professorship.
Odoh, removed three weeks after his appointment due to controversies surrounding his credentials and recruitment, had asserted that he was a full professor of applied geophysics at FUGUS since 2015.
However, FUGUS Registrar Yakubu Anivbassa dismissed these claims, labeling them as “products of fraud.” In a statement, Anivbassa revealed that Odoh colluded with former FUGUS officials to create fraudulent employment and promotion documents.
Key allegations include the use of forged certifications issued six years after the involved registrar, Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, left the university’s service in 2018. Anivbassa emphasized that the documents lacked compliance with Nigeria’s Evidence Act, rendering them legally invalid.
“Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi is not and has never been a staff member of FUGUS, let alone a professor,” Anivbassa stated, further condemning the actions as “criminal” and “null and void.”
This revelation adds to the ongoing scrutiny of Odoh’s appointment as UNIZIK’s Vice-Chancellor, raising questions about the integrity of recruitment processes in Nigerian universities.
