By Usman Muhammad Amir
Members of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa Community, particularly management, academic and non-academic staff have been thrown into unprecedented confusion following refusal of the Rector, Dr Abdullahi Ahmed Alhassan, to duly inform the federal ministry of education about the expiration of his tenure, so that the ministry can appoint an acting Rector, pending constitution of new Council.
Education Monitor gathered that the Rector who knew that his five year tenure was going to expire on Sunday, 31st/12/2023, but, allegedly refused to inform the ministry, ab initio, instead, he has been going round lobbying for either illegal second term or additional six months appointment on acting capacity.
This reporter gathered that to stave off allegation of violating the Institution’s law that stipulates that the Rector, on expiration of his tenure, must handover administration of the Institution to the most senior Deputy Rector or Chief Lecturer, as the case may be, has however decided to handover, without the consent or official approval of the ministry, to his deputy in charge of academic matters, Dr Obarakpo Samuel James, while he stepped aside waiting for official renewal or extension of his tenure, hence his reason for designating Dr James as ‘Overseer’.
Attempt to speak with the Executive Secretary of National Board for Technical Education, Professor Idris Bugaje, to know whether he is aware of the ongoing confusion, breach of law or procedure in the Polytechnic, or not, was unsuccessful, as he could not be reached.
However, concerned members of the Polytechnic who expressed their disappointment over the illegality and bad precedent the outgoing Rector is trying to institutionalize in the Polytechnic because of his personal ambition, have called on the Federal Ministry of Education to promptly intervene to address the situation.
They argued that the Rector and the Registrar do not have the powers to appoint substantive or acting Rector, as they have unilaterally done in the case of Dr James, even as he is qualified to be so appointed. “It’s only the Council that does that, but in a situation where there is no Council, it’s only the minister that can make such appointments”, they clarified.
