The Federal Ministry of Education has removed Bernard Odoh from his position as Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State. Odoh was recently appointed as the university’s 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor by the institution’s Governing Council.
Odoh’s appointment was announced on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, following an interview process conducted by the University’s Governing Council, which is chaired by Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe. However, the Ministry of Education has since declared the appointment invalid.
In a formal letter, the Ministry stated: “Sequel to your meeting with the Honourable Minister of State for Education (HMSE) on Friday, 25th October 2024, it was agreed that no appointments should be made by the Council without reconciling with aggrieved parties within the university community.”
The letter further noted that the Ministry’s representative, internal council members, and other stakeholders were not involved in the decision to appoint a new Vice-Chancellor on October 29. The Ministry described this exclusion as a “gross disregard for constituted authority” and stated it was not in line with existing regulations.
“Against this backdrop, I am directed to inform you that all appointments made so far are null and void. You are therefore requested to put on hold all other appointments in the University pending the assumption on duty of the new Honourable Minister of Education,” the letter continued.
The notification was also sent to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission for awareness and compliance.
