Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the appointment of Prof. Benard Odoh, as the Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the appointment of Prof. Benard Odoh, as the Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka.
The Union also rejected the appointment of Mrs. Rosemary Ifeoma Nwokike as Registrar of the school, describing the actions as huge joke and a mockery of the academia.
ASUU maintained that aside the illegality in the appointment process of the two principal staff, Prof. Odoh is unqualified for the office of Vice Chancellor.
ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, who made the disclosure in a statement, on Monday, said the Union was surprised that despite the complaints and agitations against the planned appointments, the University’s Governing Council, led by Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe went ahead to make pronouncement on the matter.
ASUU argued that from all evidence available to it, Benard Odoh, is not a full professor, hence lacks the basic qualification for the appointment to the high office. It added that the continued stay in office by Odoh and Nwokike constitutes a deliberate act of provocation and invitation to anarchy at the University
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ASUU President further raised the concerns about the reported exclusion of internal members of Council in the appointment proceedings, as well as the complete disregard for the participation of Senate in the nomination of its representatives into the requisite Committees for the selection processes as provided by the law of the University.
He said: “We insist that the action of the Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council has no place in the University Law and tradition; it must therefore be addressed without delay.
“The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Union, at its meeting at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, resolved that the appointment of Dr. Benard Odoh, the purported “Vice Chancellor” and Mrs. Rosemary Ifeoma Nwokike, the purported “Registrar” cannot stand, given its illegality and mockery of the university system.
“From all evidence available to us, Benard Odoh, is not a Full Professor, but was purportedly appointed the Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK by the Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council in total disregard for the advertised eligibility criteria for the position of a Vice-Chancellor of the University.
“The continued stay in office by these imposed individuals constitutes a deliberate act of provocation and invitation to anarchy at the University. NEC resolved to resist any further act of impunity, lawlessness, violation of the rights of academics and acts of intimidation and witch-hunt by the pseudo
authorities at UNIZIK.”
The Union therefore called on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the Visitor to the University, to act fast in order to maintain academic and industrial peace and harmony in the university.
“For the avoidance of doubt, ASUU like many other stakeholders at UNIZIK, does not have confidence in the Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council, and the Visitor should urgently intervene to redirect the University on the path of order, law and due process,” the release added.
