When I read the articles published by those contesting the emergence of Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, I laugh, because it’s a typical of Nigeria where no best emerges in peace. I said to myself, I wish these people know who Professor Odoh is, they would be thanking God for his emergence as the VC of Unizik. Sadly in Nigeria, whenever a solution emerges, problems arise to stop it. The Odoh that I know is a solution that should be begged and supported to come and revamp Unizik.
Let me tell you few reasons why UNIZIK is lucky to have Odoh.
Odoh is Morally Upright. Recall that Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh was the governorship candidate of APGA in the past 2023 generation election in Ebonyi State. He met the most dangerous and fiercest opposition in his campaigns yet refused to join them in carrying arms. He was attacked and shot at up to nine (9) times to the extent that he lost his driver and many of his cars burnt. I was deeply in his campaign as the campaign Director Voter Mobilisation so I know exactly what I am telling you. Youths volunteered to fight back for him for free but Prof Odoh refused to respond to guns with guns. He said he won’t go illegal even for free. He believes so much in legality.
Prof. Odoh is very bright academically and highly resourceful. From the beginning he has been a very intelligent student and an incredible teacher. He’s very innovative and tactical in his outings.
Professor Odoh is a man that prides in INTEGRITY. We all know the rot in our universities in Nigeria today. It becomes a blessing to have a man who will rather resign than compromise. Let me tell you a brief story about Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh. In May 2015, Prof. Odoh was appointed the Secretary to Ebonyi State Government (SSG). Three years down the line in April 2018, he voluntarily resigned because the government he was serving her interest as the SSG was not serving the interest of the people. The government had alot of anti people’s policies that had no direct impacts on the lives of the poor people including building flyovers in the state capital where there was obviously no reason for it abandoning education and other human orientated policies that will benefit and uplift the people. Imagine resigning the juicy position of the SSG of a state because of the integrity of not being part of the deceits against the people. He did because he will rather resign than deceive the people and share their money.
Prof Odoh is incorruptible. After his resignation, the then government threatened to prob him and Professor Odoh invited EFCC by himself to probe him and declare his innocence. He became the first public officer to invite EFCC to probe himself and nothing was found against him. In all his time in office, he did not involve himself in any dirty deal and resigned instead of staining himself.
Odoh is a Change Agent. Most importantly, He’s is an agent of transformation. Judge him by the few days he has stayed in office, he has toured the entire school and it’s faculties. He has taken records of everything needed to be done to improve the university. He’s always prepared and nothing takes him by chance.
Prof Odoh is a Professional. Odoh is a member of several professional bodies, including: Society of Exploration Geophysics, Oklahoma, USA
• American Association of Petroleum Geologists
• Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists
• Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society.
Odoh is a philanthropist. Prof Odoh has heart for the poor and does not involve himself in anything that will punish the poor. He has initiated a lot of community projects including free medical outreach, scholarship awards to many indigent students to study
both locally and overseas.
He equally has the following scholarly and merit awards
to his credit:
• Awardee, Society of Exploration Geophysics/ TGS
Field Camp Project of merit grant in support of the
project titled: “Investigation of Toxic Waste Sites
and Buried Fuel Tanks Using Spontaneous Potential
Method” – 2009
• Awardee, Society of Exploration Geophysics project
of merit for 2007 and 2008
• 2004/2005 Veritas DGS/Ashbert NAPE best PG
Research Work (for M.Sc.) in Geophysics
• 2005/2006 NAPE/ Austin Avuru best Postgraduate
Research Work in Applied Geophysics.
•TETFUND 2012 Research Grant for investigating
Geological and Geochemical origin of Okposi-Uburu
Salt Lakes, Ebonyi State
Professor Odoh has over 75 scholarly publications, more than 80 conference papers, technical reports, numerous
authored and co-authored books in collaboration with renowned academic luminaries. Prof Odoh is a renowned and
prolific scholar, attaining professorship at the early age of 38.
Odoh is a businessman with managerial skills. He is also a Trustee of PurpleHands Initiatives, Canada as
well as PurpleHands Empowerment Initiatives, Abuja.
He was part of the following international consultancies
and fellowships: Water for Life, New York, USA; China-African Think-Tanks, Beijing, China; SEG near Surface Geophysics, Vancouver, Canada; SEG Hydro geophysics, Nevada, USA; The World Bank, Washington
DC, USA; UNICEF, New York; AAPG, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Canada Workplace Safety and Health, Toronto, Canada; London Agriculture show, London, UK and Indian Business Conclave, New Delhi, India. In addition to the above, he was appointed as a delegate to Higher Education Administration Seminar for Anglophone African Countries in three major provinces of China (19th October and 7th November, 2013) under the sponsorship of the Chinese Ministry of Education as well as technical team member of the voluntary visitors, Leadership Program for Newly
appointed Nigerian Vice Chancellors to the United States of America Department of State in collaboration
with National Universities Commission-NUC (13-23rd October, 2010).
Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh remains the best and the most qualified for the VC of our Prestigious UNIZIK. Let’s give him the benefit of doubt and he will prove himself.
Comr. Eze Onyebuchi Chukwu,
National Youth Leader, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
