Sacked UNIZIK Vice-Chancellor, Bernard Odoh Drags Education Minister To Court To Challenge Removal

Prof. Bernard Odoh who was sacked as the Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Anambra State has sued the Minister of Education, Morufu Alausa, seeking an order stopping the Defendants from taking any further step to re-constitute the Council or Governing Council of the University pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed along the application.

SaharaReporters had reported that President Bola Tinubu on November 20, 2024 announced the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.

The president had removed the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bernard Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Nwokike.

However, Odoh, a former Secretary to the State Government of Ebonyi State is challenging the legality of his removal.

In an ex-parte application filed at the Federal High Court sitting Abuja alongside with Motion on Notice, Odoh also joined the acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ifeanyichukwu Ikechebelu seeking an order of court restraining him from further acting or parading himself as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

The suit marked No: FHC/ABJ/CS/82/2025 was filed on January 20, 2025 and had Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh as the Plaintiff/ Applicant And Minister of Education, Federal Ministry of Education and Prof. Joseph Ifeanyichukwu Ikechebelu as 1st to 3rd Defendants.

The Motion Ex-parte was brought pursuant to order section 6(6) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) 26 rules 1 and 2, order 28 rule 2 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the honourable court.

Among other reliefs the application sought are: “An Order of interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd Defendants either by themselves or through their agents, staff or workmen or employees under them or whosoever, from taking any further step to re-constitute the Council or Governing Council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Anambra State pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice flied along the application.

“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 3rd Defendant from further acting or parading himself as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed along the application.

“An Order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants either by themselves or through their agents, staff or workmen or employees under them or whosoever, from further doing anything or taking any step concerning the office or appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Anambra State pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed along the application.

“An Order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants either by themselves or through their agents, staff or workmen or employees under them or whosoever, from further doing anything or taking any step concerning the Council or Governing Council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Anambra State pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice filed along the application.

“And for such Order or further Orders as the Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance.”

Odoh in the suit filed through his team of lawyers led by Prof Chimezie Kingsley Okorie, SAN, and Eudorah Nkeiruka Ezeonye Esq, C.N Ukawuike, Esq listed five grounds for bringing the application.

Among the grounds, Odoh argued is that “Rule of Law demands that once matter is before a court of law, parties are required not to do anything with the subject matter of the action until final judgment is delivered;

“that the 1 and 2nd Defendants are in habit of not respecting court processes; that that there is real urgency as the Defendants are about to destroy the subject matter of the action; that justice of the matter demands that sanity be maintained before the parties resort to self help, and that the Rules of the Honourable Court vested the Plaintiff/Applicant the right to bring the application.”

The hearing for the application has not been fixed.  (SaharaReporters)