Rasheed Quits As NUC Gets Acting Helmsman, Maiyaki
BY EDMOND ODOK – There is a sudden exchange of baton at the National Universities Commission (NUC) with the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr Chris Maiyaki, now overseeing its affairs in acting capacity.
Maiyaki takes over from Professor Abubakar Rasheed, who decided to throw in the towel with three years and one month to the end of his second term at the Commission.
Appointed Deputy Executive Secretary (DES), Administration, by the NUC Board in 2020, Maiyaki will act pending when President Bola Tinubu appoints a substantive Chief Executive.
According to reports, the Prof Rasheed officially handed over to Maiyaki on Friday at an event attended by former Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prof Julius Okojie, some NUC Directors and guests, including former University Vice Chancellors.
Professor Rasheed, who is returning to Bayero University, Kano (BUK) where he resumes as a lecturer on July 1, 2023, performed one of his last official functions on Monday during the presentation of provisional operational license to newly registered Kogi State University (KSU), Kabba.
It was reliably gathered that the one-time Managing Director of the New Nigerian Newspapers (NNN), Kaduna, submitted his resignation letter six weeks ago, but kept the news secret until late last week.
An insider conversant with the development confirmed that Prof Rasheed’s resignation does not have any connection to issues of corruption allegation or ill health, but what close associates described as “very personal reasons”.
The source hinted that the outgoing NUC Chief Executive, who had always expressed his strong desire of returning to the classroom to continue his academic work, resigned from office before the new administration was sworn in.
Also, the source said Rasheed’s resignation, though approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari, was kept a closely guarded secret for some obvious reasons .
The acting Executive Secretary, Maiyaki, had at some point served as the Director, Executive Secretary’s Office (DESO). Deployed to that position in 2017 by Professor Rasheed, he also ran his immediate office as well as the NUC Board Secretariat.
A B.Sc (Hons) degree holder in International Relations from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Maiyaki also has Master of Arts (M.A degree) in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos, Plateau State.
Similarly, he has received several trainings (within and outside Nigeria) pertaining to International Affairs and Educational Planning; Accreditation and Quality Assurance; Partnerships and Collaboration; Procurement & project Management; Computer Application in Human Resource Management, all tailored around the specifics of Higher Education Management; Regulation and Knowledge diplomacy, among others.
He began his public service career spanning well over 30 years ago, as a young Administrative Officer in 1990 with the Policy and Administrative arm of the Cabinet Office located in the Governor’s office in Jos, Plateau State.
In 1993, he joined the NUC on inter-service transfer as Personnel/Administrative Officer I, where on assumption of duty was appointed the Administrative Secretary for the World Bank Project Implementation Unit based in the NUC.
The office was responsible for overseeing the execution of the USD120m Credit facility for twenty participating federal universities in the country.
