Education Minister Wades Into KadPoly Rectorship Tussle
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA
In an attempt to resolve the controversy trailing the appointment of a new rector for the Kaduna Polytechnic, the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) has demanded the Governing Council, headed by 90-year old Senator Mohammed Mohammed, to furnish it with all details relating to the interview process for the recruitment of a new rector for the polytechnic.
In a letter addressed to the Chairman, Kaduna Polytechnic Governing Council, entitled, ‘Petition on the recently concluded interview for the post of rector for Kaduna Polytechnic: An appeal for assistance and redress to redress balance’, and signed by the Director of Polytechnic Education and Allied Institutions, Mr. Adeleye Adeoye, the letter reads: “I am directed to forward to you the attached letter dated 31st January 2022 from Professor Mohammed Sani Yahaya on the above subject for your comments to enable the Ministry take further necessary action.
“While awaiting your prompt response, please accept the assurances of the Hon. Minister’s high regards.”
The query on the Kaduna Governing Council by the FME is coming on the heels of legal fireworks at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) by a lecturer with the Kaduna State University, Prof Mohammed Sani Yahaya, over his non-inclusion in the interview conducted by the polytechnic for the appointment of a new rector.
Since the completion of the recruitment interview in March 2022, there have been discordant tunes over the process leading to the selection of candidates for the interview. Apart from allegations that the Governing Council was obstinate in appointing the Ag. Rector, Dr Suleiman Umar as substantive rector, the school Governing Council, against the grain of reason and violation of the Polytechnic Amendment (2019) Act renewed the appointment of Dr. Umar as Ag Rector for a renewed 6-month tenure, an act described as illegal by the regulatory agency of technical education in Nigeria, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
According to insiders, even before the conduct of the interview, there was a grand plan to exclude candidates that may pose threat to the emergence of Dr Umar as the substantive rector.
“In order to ensure that the Ag. Rector was appointed the substantive rector, those with astounding credentials were excluded. Prof Yahaya happens to be one of those expected to give Umar a good run for his money. It was clear that the interview was held to ensure only Dr Umar emerges top for the position of substantive rector. Some members of the Governing Council were financially induced, but a lone or two voices kicked against the planned plot to impose Umar as rector.
“Worried by the behind-the-table dealings perpetrated to secure the appointment for the Ag. Rector, the NBTE had written letter to the FME, drawing attention on how the process for the appointment of a new rector was being manipulated to favour Dr Umar”, a source disclosed.
As some members of the Kaduna Governing Council continued to plot the emergence of the next rector for the school, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is probing illegal bogus awards of over 100 IGR approved by the Dr Umar-led management of the school.
More worrisome, there was allegation of financial inducements, supported by the position of the NBTE that also alleged that the Governing Council had looked the other way when the name of Dr Yahaya Saleh Ibrahim, who ought to be the candidate with the highest scores of 71 percent, had his marks slashed to 69 the second day in order to allow Dr Umar became the candidate with the highest scores.
Meanwhile, Prof Yahaya, who was inscrutably excluded from participating in the interview “on account of being a professor”, according to a source, approached the industrial court to wade into the matter. His declared that the deliberate action to exclude him from the interview was a gross violation of his rights as a citizen.
In a notice of motion filed on Monday 14, March 2022 and listed for hearing on March 21, 2022, the university don had taken the Governing Council, Registrar, including six others as defendants, in a bid to ensure his exclusion from the recruitment process was redressed.
According to the notice suit number: NICN /KD/09/2022 and signed for the Chief Registrar of the Court: “Take notice that the above Mohammed case will now be listed for motion before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting at No.21/23 Swimming Pool Road, Kabala-Doki Kaduna on Monday March 21stDay of March, 2022 at 09:00AM.
“And further take notice that this notice shall be sufficiently served on you if it is left at the your address for se4rvice or sent by registered post to that address and in any case where the date of service by post is material Section 25ofthe interpretation Act 1964 shall apply.”
According to the court papers sighted by our correspondent, the legal representatives of the Kaduna Polytechnic have, among other reasons, stated that Prof Yahaya has not served up to five-year old as Chief lecturer in the Polytechnic.
This position by the legal representatives contradicted records that clearly indicate that Prof Yahaya was a Chief Lecturer from January 2013 to 2021. He transferred his services to KASU in May 2021.
“It is abundantly clear that Professor Yahaya was still a bonafide staff of the Kaduna Polytechnic for over eight years and only transferred his service in 2021 as against the falsehood spread by the polytechnic that he left the services of the school in May 2017,” a source knowledgeable in the matter revealed.
“The attempt to exclude Prof Yahaya from the interview is puerile. Both Prof Yahaya and Dr Ibrahim were on secondment to KASU. Why invite Ibrahim and exclude Prof Yahaya from the interview? There were also plans to exclude Dr Ibrahim, but some members of the selection panel kicked against it. Prof Yahaya was excluded because there was no one to speak for him,” another source disclosed.
