The Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) in Zamfara state says Bernard Odoh, former vice-chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Anambra, fraudulently obtained his professorship.

BACKGROUND

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu dissolved UNIZIK’s governing council and sacked the institution’s vice-chancellor and registrar.

Odoh was described as “unqualified” for the role of vice-chancellor of the university, in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy.

“The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process,” the statement reads.

“After the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address tensions between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the 33-year-old institution.

“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process.”

“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process.”

However, in an interview with Arise Television on Thursday, Odoh said the president erred by firing him.

He added that since his appointment as vice-chancellor was not made through a press release, he cannot be removed through one.

The embattled don said he was qualified for the position of vice-chancellor of UNIZIK ab initio. He added that his appointment followed due process.

Odoh said the case against his appointment is before a federal high court and industrial courts.

He added that Tinubu and Tunji Alausa, education minister, should have waited for the verdict of the courts before booting him out.

Odoh said by leaving the university without a vice-chancellor, governing council and registrar, Tinubu has fomented crisis in UNIZIK.

The embattled university don added that two of the assessors, and a registrar from FUGUS who deposed to an affidavit on his professorship, are still alive and can back his claims.

‘PRODUCTS OF ADMINISTRATIVE FRAUD’

In a statement on Thursday, Yakubu Anivbassa, FUGUS registrar, said the documents referenced by Odoh were “products of administrative fraud”.

The FUGUS management said Odoh “was never a staff member of the university” and his claims are “tissues of lies and misinformation”.

“The Federal University Gusau hereby states in clear and unambiguous terms that the so called letters of offer of tenure of appointment as Professor and confirmation of promotion to the post of Professor, dated 30th April 2015 and 12th November 2015, being paraded by Dr Bernard Odoh are null and void,” the statement reads.

“The documents being paraded by Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi and purported to be certified true copies hurriedly endorsed by Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, former Registrar of the Federal University, dated November 8, 2024, six solid years after the latter left the services of the Federal University Gusau, are products of administrative fraud orchestrated by Dr. Odoh.

“Dr Odoh working in cahoots with the former Vice Chancellor of the University and the Registrar, as there is no official record of Dr. Odoh’s employment in the custody of the University.

“Further proof of the desperation to perpetuate such illegality is the impersonation and usurpation of the duties of the current Registrar of the University by the former Registrar, Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, who procured a fake stamp to certify Dr. Odoh’s equally fake employment documents as true copies on November 8, 2024, six years after his disengagement from the university.

“Dr. Odoh Bernard Ifeanyi is not and has never been a tenure staff of the university, let alone being confirmed as a professor by the institution.

“Whatever claim to the contrary by Dr. Odoh is nothing but the antics of a drowning man who is hell-bent on using the good name of the Federal University Gusau, to give vent to his desperate ambition to become the Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, through subterfuge.”

The registrar said certification of public documents is guided by the Evidence Act 2011, adding that requirements include payment of fees and a certified true copy.

Anivbassa added that the document must be sealed, dated and signed by the officer responsible for issuing the document with his name and title of his office.

“A careful perusal of the above requirements and their juxtaposition against the certification of Dr. Odoh’s documents by Ibrahim Bawa Kaura, clearly shows that the so called certified true copies fell short of the provisions of Section 104 of the Evidence Act, 2011 and are therefore, not legally tenable,” he said.

Anivbassa said Bawa, having left FUGUS as a registrar in 2018, has “no locus” to certify university documents.

“Therefore, the so-called certified true copies of Dr. Odoh’s documents relating to his alleged employment as endorsed by Ibrahim Bawa Kaura on November 8, 2024, are illegal, criminal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever,” the statement added.

The Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, has cleared a female student, Ramota Olahanloye, to graduate following the re-marking of her final-year examination scripts.

Olahanloye had alleged that a lecturer, Dr. Anthony Agbegbedia, demanded sexual favours from her, and when she declined, he deliberately failed her in two final-year courses.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Special Adviser on Media to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Wole Balogun, the university confirmed that Olahanloye’s allegations were investigated, and her scripts were re-marked.

“The young lady’s scripts were re-marked, and she performed fairly better than the scores initially awarded by Dr. Anthony Agbegbedia,” the statement read.

According to Balogun, the university management approved Olahanloye’s revised results, which qualified her for graduation.

“The university management has given executive approval for her results to be processed. She has since commenced her final clearance from relevant units of the university,” the statement added.

Balogun also disclosed that Agbegbedia had been sanctioned by the institution for his misconduct.

Olahanloye expressed her joy over the resolution of the case, saying, “I am happy that I have gotten justice, and I really appreciate the university Vice-Chancellor for setting up the committee that investigated the matter.

“I was shown my entire results, including the graduation list with my name on it. I have started my clearance as a graduating student of the university, and I am truly happy.”

Her father, Rasaki Olahanloye, also lauded the university for its commitment to justice.

“I can confirm to the world that FUOYE has served justice to my daughter. I was shown her upgraded results after her scripts were re-marked, and it is clear that she passed.

“The university fulfilled its promise to ensure fairness, and I appreciate the VC, Prof. Sunday Fasina, and the committee members for ensuring my daughter gets justice,” he said.

The University of Alberta (U of A) is offering a range of scholarships to international undergraduate students, including those who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership.

Each year, the university awards $52 million in scholarships and financial support to students in various categories, from high achievers to community leaders.

These scholarships provide opportunities for students to receive financial assistance without the need for additional applications or as part of the application process itself.

University of Alberta scholarships available for international students 

According to the University of Alberta, one in five first-year students receives a scholarship, with opportunities available to both incoming and transfer students. The scholarships vary in value and eligibility criteria, covering both admission-based and application-based awards. International students who apply for undergraduate programs at the U of A are automatically evaluated for certain scholarships, while others may require a separate application.

Admission-based scholarships—no separate application needed 

Some scholarships are awarded automatically upon admission. These are based on the student’s high school admission average at the time of admission offer, and students do not need to submit a separate application.

Eligible students will be notified directly by the university.

• International Admission Scholarship: Top students may receive up to CAD $5,000 based on their admission average.
• Gold Standard Scholarship: The top 5% of students in each faculty may be awarded up to CAD $6,000, also based on their admission average.

Application-based scholarships—apply early 

In addition to the automatic admission-based scholarships, the university offers a range of application-based scholarships. These awards require students to apply through a single scholarship application. Once submitted, the university evaluates applicants based on their academic performance, background, extracurricular activities, and other factors.

Students must first be admitted to an undergraduate degree program before applying for application-based scholarships. The deadline for these applications is January 10. Some of the notable scholarships available include:

• President’s International Distinction Scholarship: Up to CAD $120,000 (paid over four years) is available to 25 students who demonstrate leadership qualities and superior academic achievement.
• A Chan Pang Kuen Memorial International Distinction Scholarship: This award offers up to CAD $120,000 (paid over four years) to students with a strong academic record and leadership qualities.
• International Leader Scholarship: Well-rounded students who have demonstrated leadership in their community, school, or workplace could receive up to CAD $15,000.
• May Quon Undergraduate Scholarship: For students who are Chinese or Hong Kong citizens, this scholarship offers up to CAD $100,000 (paid over four years) to those with a strong academic record and financial need.

Specialized scholarships for specific groups 

In addition to the general scholarships available to international students, the U of A offers several awards for specific groups based on their background or academic focus.

These include the Cora Martinson International Scholarship for students with superior academic achievements at Augustana Faculty, and the University of Alberta Global Citizen Scholarship for students with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. The Global Citizen Scholarship provides up to CAD $53,000 per year for a maximum of four years to students who meet the criteria.

For more information or to apply for any of these scholarships, international students can visit the University of Alberta’s official scholarship page or contact the admissions office.