The Untold Story of Honorary Professor Bernard Ifenyi Odoh -By Professor Okike Benjamin

Honorary Professor Bernard Ifenyi Odoh started his academic journey from Ebonyi State University Abakaliki in 2002 after graduating from Nnamdi Azikiwe university in 1999.   He then moved to Nnamdi Azikiwe University, his alma mater  in 2009. In 2015, Odoh was appointed the Secretary to the State Government of Ebonyi State by the then Governor of Ebonyi State, now the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi. He resigned his appointment as the Secretary to the State Government of Ebonyi State in 2018 and contested for the 2019 Ebonyi State Governorship election under the All Progressives Congress  (APC) but lost.

In 2023, Odoh also contested the Ebonyi State Governorship election again under All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) but lost to the incumbent Governor, Francis Ogbonna Erishi Nwifuru. 

Now, looking at his career progression, Honorary Professor Odoh claimed that when he was serving as Secretary to the State Government of Ebonyi State, he was also serving as the pioneer HOD of at Federal University, Gusau in Zamfara State.  Addressing newsmen in Gusau on 21st November, 2024, the current Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Gusau, Professor Muazu Abubakar stated that the so-called letters of offer of tenure of appointment as a professor and confirmation of promotion to the post of professor, dated 30th April 2015 and 12th November 2015, being paraded by Dr. Odoh were products of administrative fraud. He further stated that the so-called letters and offer of appointments purported to be certified true copies hurriedly endorsed by the former Registrar of the university, Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, dated November 8, 2024, six solid years after he left the services of the university were products of administrative fraud orchestrated by Dr. Odoh, working in cahoots with the former Vice Chancellor of the University and the Registrar.

It is quite unfortunate that we now have fraudsters as managers of our citadel of learning.  

 Although, Honorary Professor Odoh was appointed the 7th substantive Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka from October 29th 2024 and subsequently sacked on 20th of November, 2024. It is on record that Honorary Professor Odoh was one time Vice Chancellor for only 22 days. It is good to note that appointing Honorary Professors as Vice Chancellors portends a great danger to the academic community because the outcome will always be catastrophic in nature. 

Kudos to Nnamdi Azikiwe University stakeholders who insisted that such appointment be nullified by the Visitor and it was done. Now instead of our Honorary Professor to quietly go underground, yesterday, he instituted a legal action against Federal University, Gusau. Let us watch and see what happens next.