Civilian Coup At UNIZIK (1)

IFEANYICHUKWU AFUBA 

Sad, is the one word to describe the straight – faced somersaults taking place at Nnamdi Azikiwe University recently. It has become a recurring drama. All over the country, the business of choosing vice chancellors of universities turns to civil war of sorts. This theatre of the absurd is not necessarily a university thing; it’s actually a Nigerian problem of high public office. This dimension will be explored a bit more in the course of this essay. But we return to the Unizik takeoff point.

A foretaste of the succession schemes at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, actually emerged before the disputed appointment of Professor Ifeanyi Bernard Odoh as substantive VC on 29 October, 2024. The controversies began with the selection of acting Vice Chancellor. Following the inauguration of recently constituted councils of universities, the Greg Mbadiwe led Council took steps towards appointment of acting VC. There were two outstanding candidates, Professor Joseph Ikechebelu and Professor Carol Umobi. However, the exercise was marred by the predetermined agenda of the Governing Council. The obvious maneuvers of the Council soon created unease in the university. Sources at the Council session convened on July 20, 2024 to choose an acting VC said the deliberations were inconclusive. According to Arise News, ” even though there was stalemate during the meeting, Mbadiwe had shortly before leaving the university, handed Umobi her appointment letter.” Professor Carol Umobi’s acting letter was presented to her at the carport – of all places. A conducive environment for the major outing was in place.

Then, the intrigues shifted into a new gear. An advertisement for the position of vice chancellor was published alright. But it was skewed towards producing a predetermined result; the selective criteria appeared designed to exclude potential competitors and narrow the process to a certain candidate. On October 7, 2024, the medical alumni of Nnamdi Azikiwe University called for withdrawal of the said advert, describing the requirement for candidates to have attracted grants of N400m to the university as “unrealistic and unprecedented.” For their part, the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria viewed the non inclusion of medical fellowship as eligibility as “unjust and undermining.” Surprisingly, the Greg Mbadiwe led Council which had been copiously quoting NUC’s provisions to defend it’s controversial decisions, now referred the MDCAN to seek clarification from NUC whether medical fellowship was equivalent to PhD.

And assuming the consultants’ body was in the mood to so needlessly oblige the Council, the latter would not wait for the rigmarole to play out. If the referral to NUC was not intended to distract the consultants association, then what was it? The Council was poised to keep all opposition busy while it executed it’s agenda. Consequently, the Council brushed aside the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Education for reengagement of the contending parties arguing that the consultation with the outgoing Minister of State was informal. On 29th October, 2024, the Governing Council announced Professor Bernard Odoh as vice chancellor. Why was the Mbadiwe led Council in such a haste to declare a vice chancellor?

The desperation on the part of Odoh was also palpable. He was quoted as saying that the appointment of a new vice chancellor was over. Speaking after a Thanksgiving at St Joseph the Worker Chaplaincy, Odoh said: “The era of politics over the VC selection is behind us; let’s focus on moving Unizik forward” ( Punch, November 5, 2024). Despite it’s apparent conciliation, Odoh’s stance on finality of the selection process is instructive. It suggests unapologetic reliance on the strategy of fait accompli; a deliberate decision from the outset to bulldoze one’s way through first and seek pacification later. Odoh’s statement, grandstanding actually, reminds me of the Chris Ngige version of 2003. Everywhere he went immediately after the rigged Anambra State governorship election, Ngige, the beneficiary, would tell the people, “the elections are over.” Psychological warfare might succeed against an inferior opponent but when deployed against an equal or superior party, it produces an irritating effect and therefore strong resistance. Chances are that Odoh will still go to school on the power of conviction as Ngige equally learnt.

As if the vice chancellor’s this – matter – is – closed tactics was not bad enough, the Registrar whose appointment is equally alleged to have defied due process and fair play, came out with a magisterial memo. A circular with reference NAU/REG/958/Vol VII/44 signed by R.I. Nwokike on behalf of the Governing Council ordered staff to withdraw instituted legal action against the University or face the consequences. That seemed like the height of provocation. If the Council fulfilled the demands of extant regulations in selecting a VC as it vigorously argued in rejoinder to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education’s directive for suspension of the process, why then have things fallen apart in the university? The Faculty of Medicine is on shutdown with the Consultants’ Association embarking on a 7 day warning strike from November 18 to 25. A week ago, on November 13, 2024, the local chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities directed her members to boycott activities organised under the purported vice chancellorship of Odoh. In a statement widely published by the media, the branch chairman, Prof Kingsley Ubaoji stated: “We have been informed of a meeting convened today by Dr Bernard Odoh….Do not attend this meeting. He has no authority to the position he claims.”

After the national leadership of ASUU weighed in on the Unizik conflict on November 19, 2024, reaffirming the position of the local chapter that Odoh’s appointment was unacceptable by reasons of flawed procedure and qualification, the Unizik authorities made the boldest defence of Odoh yet. A release by the university’s media department published by the media in the evening of the same day, asserted that Odoh was issued appointment letter as a Professor of the University of Gusau dated November 12, 2015. A tendentious opening paragraph of the widely published release declared: “The controversy surrounding the academic qualifications of Professor Bernard Odoh, the recently appointed Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has been laid to rest following official confirmation from the Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State.” If anything, this overreaching statement has only heightened the controversies.

Why can’t we see the said appointment letter? Why was it not published? What type of professorship was granted – full time or visiting? Was the Gusau professorship activated? If it was taken up, what was the effective number of years? At the time of the University of Gusau appraisal, was Odoh an academic staff of Unizik? If he was on sabbatical, is it the practice to be assessed by a “foreign” university? Considering that the candidate served as Secretary to Ebonyi State Government from May 2015 to April 2018, there is need for clarity on the academic credentials. Did Odoh vie for the vice chancellorship as academic staff of Unizik? If so, at what point did he resume at Unizik? What do the records say about his last placement at Unizik? These are some of the issues that demand definitive answers before the controversy can be laid to rest. Given the escalation that has attended the subject matter, it’s in the best interest of Odoh and his handlers to come to terms with the gaps in their narrative.

To be concluded.