Court returns Odoh as Unizik VC, APC hails

The National Industrial Court has reinstated Prof Bernard Odoh as the Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Anikwe University, Awka.

Odo was removed as vice chancellor in November 2024 following President  Bola Tinubu’s orders that dissolved the UNIZIK Governing Council and issued a notice on 20 Nov 2024 that Odo's appointment was null and void.

The move was justified by the Ministry of Education on the grounds that the council had appointed him without following the proper procedures and that he didn’t meet the required qualifications.

The issue sparked protests from the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other campus groups and Odo went to court to reclaim his appointment.

In the a suit filed by Odoh in 2024, marked NICN/ABJ/434/2024, Odoh contested the university's controversially denial of his having any academic relationship with him despite his earlier promotion is an infringement. 

The denial had emerged shortly after he was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Reacting to the development, the National Vice-Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, (South-East), Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, hailed the National Industrial Court’s reinstatement of Odoh as a duly appointed Professor of Applied Geophysics, describing the ruling as “a resounding victory for justice, fairness and the rule of law.”

Justice E.D. Subilim of the National Industrial Court, Abuja, ruled that Professor Odoh was “duly employed, properly assessed by three professors, and validly promoted to full professorship by the Governing Council of the Federal University Gusau.”

Arodiogbu described the ruling as a resounding victory for justice, fairness, and the rule of law.

“The National Industrial Court has once again demonstrated its indispensable role as the guardian of justice, fairness, and due process. This ruling is not just a personal victory for an outstanding scholar; it is a powerful rebuke to administrative impunity in Nigeria’s public institutions.”

Arodiogbu commended the Court for what he called intellectual rigour, moral courage, and unflinching commitment to justice.

“By meticulously examining the facts, upholding due process, and declaring Professor Odoh’s appointment valid ab initio, the Court has set a precedent that will protect countless academics and public officers from arbitrary treatment in the future,” he stated.

He congratulated Professor Odoh for long-overdue vindication following months of public controversy.

“After unwarranted humiliation, malicious media trials, and the emotional torture of being stripped of a professorship you rightly earned, vindication has finally come—and it is total,” he said.

“The Court has confirmed what those who know you have always known: your appointment was never illegal or controversial. It was merit-based and followed due process. Your dignity is fully restored.”

Arodiogbu, however, urged the Federal Ministry of Education to take responsibility for its role in the ordeal.

“Justice will remain incomplete if the Ministry does not reflect deeply on its actions. It is morally imperative that Professor Odoh is immediately reinstated to the professorial cadre—or an equivalent position of his choice—with full recognition of his seniority and accrued entitlements. Anything less would perpetuate the very injustice the Court has now overturned.”

He hailed the judgment as a milestone that will be remembered for generations.

“The National Industrial Court has shown that the temple of justice remains open to the oppressed and that no one is too powerful to be held accountable. This judgment stands as a shining example of judicial independence and the triumph of truth over expediency.”