Dr. Chukwudi Ojiakor, a senior lecturer and consultant anesthesiologist at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, has made serious allegations against the current Vice Chancellor, Dr. Bernard Odoh. According to Dr. Ojiakor, in a vitural interview granted him on zoom on the 13th of November 2024, said that Dr. Odoh is not qualified for the position and is essentially an impostor.
Dr. Ojiakor’s concerns center around Dr. Odoh’s lack of administrative experience, having never headed a department at the university and as such is not a professor neither. Also forging of documents from the University of Guasu which has been confirmed by the university. As the university denied knowing him. This, Dr. Ojiakor believes, makes him unfit to lead the institution.
Dr. Ojiakor further butressed his position by stating the fact, that Dr Odoh by virtue of his lack of administrative experience will be unfit and inexperience to handle the affairs of Unizik, as he has never lead a department at the university before.
He said that the Bias against Medical School Professors was uncalled for as Prof. Mbadiwe’s alleged prejudice against professors from the medical school is a cog in the wheel of progress, as the medical school of the university felt alienated, a situation he said should not be allowed to stand, because it will create a precedence for other universities to follow.
He called on the university community and relevant authorities to address these concerns to restore confidence in the institution’s leadership.
Continuing, Dr. Ojiakor urged the federal government to enforce the termination of his appointment which has been nullified from the ministry of education. He maintained that there is no moral justification for Dr Odoh to still pride and parade himself as the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikikwe University, as such is an affront on the federal government and the conscience of the academia in Anambra and Nigeria in general.
Dr. Ojiakor also accused the pro-chancellor, Prof. Greg Mbadiwe, of having a predetermined mindset against professors from the medical school, reason he allowed for a rule that put aside medical doctors who are not allowed to study up to PhD level. This, Dr. Ojiakor argues, has led to a miscarriage of justice, while the stipulated law for the conduct of Election for the position of Vice Chancellor, which the university Senate is supposed to sanction was neglected and was not even consulted.
The controversy surrounding the appointment of Dr Odoh and his qualifications raises important questions about the university’s leadership and governance, and from the look of things something proactive needs to be done to restore peace and sanity to the institution.
