.png)
By Madu Obi
The new Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka, Professor Bernard Odoh has called on the general public to disregard the letter purportedly emanating from the Federal Ministry of Education, claiming that his appointment has been voided, describing it as false and misleading.
Recall that the university's governing council had last week announced Odoh, a Professor of Applied Geophysics, as the 7th substantive Vice Chancellor of the institution following a successful interview the same day.
But the Federal Ministry of Education in a letter addressed to the governing council and signed by Mrs. R. G. Ilyasu on behalf the Permanent Secretary, declared as null and void, all processes in the appointment of Odoh.
Speaking through his Personal Assistant, Media and Publicity, Charles Otu, in a statement on Monday, Odoh insisted that due process was meticulously followed by the governing council of the university in the appointment.
Otu argued that based on Nigeria's extant laws, the Ministry of Education only oversees general educational standards across the nation, but does not have the legal power to direct or control the daily decisions of a university council, including who should be appointed as Vice Chancellor.
He explained that the university management officially clarified the Ministry of Education on its enquiries regarding the processes leading to the appointment of Odoh from among the 15 out of the 18 candidates who applied for the position through the Registrar, R. I. Nwokike.
According to him, thorough clarifications were attached with facts of the processes and proceedings of the university's Senate and the governing council, including letters of invitation and actual representatives of appropriate authorities present during the October 29th 2024 interview and selection.
Otu said: "The institution has rightly stated that all its actions conform with the statutory requirements set forth in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Act, Cap 139 (as amended), LFN 2004.
The Registrar who doubles as the Secretary to the council had replied that the actions of the council were in total conformity with the provisions of Section 6 (a) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Standing Orders of the governing council which stipulates that the quorum requirements which mandates the presence of five members, including at least one of the following: The Vice Chancellor or his Deputy, one appointee of the Visitor and one appointee of the Senate.
Without prejudice to related facts in this matter, however, it can be correctly deposited that the contrived misinformation and awkward desperation of some of those whose preferred candidate(s) were unsuccessful in the race, though ordinarily common in an academic environment, is now getting unhealthy and distracting.
Already, the appointment, which for now has not been expressly faulted by any law of our land, appears to be breeding some bad bloods and unsettling the nerves of some possible big spenders among our Igbo brothers, including some fifth columnists, suspectedly in the nation's ruling party.
All parties in the matter, are therefore admonished to give peace a chance while members of the general public are urged to disregard, in its entirety, all the news and false documents purporting the declaration of the actions of the UNIZIK Governing Council as null and void.
Rather, and in compliance with the recent circular of the management of the institution, which informed on its website that a High Mass shall be held on Tuesday, 5th November, 2024 as part of activities for the resumption of office of the 7th substantive Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, members of the public are cordially invited to witness the events marking the first day in office of the new Vice Chancellor.
They are also urged to continue to demonstrate their unwavering support and commitments to ensure a successful tenure for the newly-appointed Vice Chancellor. Already, the welter of congratulatory messages that have poured in from the academic communities, Ebonyi State, South East, Nigeria in general and the rest of the world, is already a testament to the fact that the appointment is a round peg in a round hole."he stated.
댓글