By Waziri Isa Adam
The Outgoing Vice Chancellor of Federal University Lafiya, (FULAFIA), Professor Muhammad S. Liman, has denied insinuations making the rounds in the state, particularly in Keffi and Lafiya, that he singlehandedly engineered the exclusion or disqualification of one of the popular and presumably, leading candidates in the race for the Vice Chancellor stool of the University, Professor Muhammad Akaro Mainoma, for personal reasons.
Professor Liman who reacted to the allegations in an interview with Education Monitor described the claim as a propaganda and blackmail by Social Media Warriors of Professor Mainoma, who he said had always abstained from joining issues with, majority of whom are grossly ignorant of the selection process of University Vice Chancellors.
Professor Liman said, “The selection and appointment of any Vice Chancellor is not the responsibility of any seating Vice Chancellor, but the responsibility of the Council, which the Vice Chancellor is only a member with no special status, and the Selection Board, which jointly outline criteria and qualifications of those who are eligible to apply. The Selection Board which is saddled with the responsibility to go through the applications of the entire applicants to screen those who have met the criteria and those who have not. Those who have met the criteria are now shortlisted and invited for interview; and that is exactly what was done, in my understanding”, Professor Liman highlighted
He added that, “with this cumbersome and scientific procedure, there is no way the Vice Chancellor can Influence the emergence or disqualification of a candidate”.
“So, to say, I, Professor Liman was responsible for the exclusion or disqualification of Professor Mainoma or any other candidate, is either the peak of ignorance of the blind supporters of their benefactor or is simply an act of mischief”. Professor Liman clarified.
He added that, “Professor Mainoma is my brother, just like all other contestants, who I have nothing personal against, even though he may have long been begrudging me, I do not have problem with his emergence as my successor, if that is the will of the Almighty Allah”.
“However, one thing that I am certain of is Professor Mainoma and others were not shortlisted simply because they did not meet the criteria outlined by the Selection Board and probably, coupled with the fact that several better, more patriotic and transparent candidates who can offer better and needed leadership in the University were in the contest”, Professor Liman opined