Gambari, council, students fault Kwara State government over VC’s appointment

Pioneer chancellor of Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, has urged Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to follow “due process” in the appointment of a new vice chancellor for the institution.

Currently Chairman, Governing Council of Bayero University Kano (BUK), the diplomat, in a chat with journalists in Ilorin, maintained that only the board had the “exclusive power” to appoint such a high-ranking official of the ivory tower.

He said: “As the pioneer chancellor of KWASU, and a concerned citizen of Kwara, I lend my support to the incumbent chairman of the Governing Council of the university, Professor Saka Nuhu, that any appointment of the vice chancellor should be the prerogative of the board.

“This right as an academic was one of the issues that the Academic Staff of Union of Universities (ASUU) fought for, under the right of autonomy of any university in the country to appoint its own vice chancellor. The university will always have its successive vice chancellors but the reputation of the institution is more than that of any government or an individual.”

The tenure of the inaugural vice chancellor, Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah ends this July.

But the governor, who is also a visitor to the varsity, two days ago, through his Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Abdullahi Alikinla, ordered Na’Allah to proceed on terminal leave and immediately announced Professor Kenneth Adeyemi as acting vice chancellor “without recourse to the board.”

Criticising the decision in a statement, Prof. Nuhu noted:  “The Governing Council of KWASU hereby dissociates itself from the recent appointment of Prof. Kenneth Adeyemi as acting vice chancellor and the directive that the incumbent vice chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed NaAllah, should proceed on terminal leave while he is yet to complete his tenure which expires on July 27, 2019.”

Gambari therefore pleaded with the government to allow Na’Allah serve out his tenure.

Besides, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the institution’s Students’ Union Government (SUG) enjoined the governor to reverse himself.

Addressing journalists after a peaceful protest yesterday, state chairman of NANS, Comrade Saheed Olosasa, and SUG President, Comrade Abdulganiyu Dikko, gave the governor 24 hours to explain his action or face more protests.

The students, who described the decision as illegal and manipulation of the education sector, called on stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to stand against what they termed “disregard for due process.”