The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa(NASPOLY), Dr Shettima
Abdulkadir Saidu, is in possession of three different letters, all
indicating that he had been appointed Rector of the institution by three
different authorities, Pointblanknews.com investigations have revealed.
While the first letter purportedly appointing Dr Saidu as Rector of the
institution is dated February 11, 2014, the second one is dated February
14, 2014 and the third March 20, 2014, raising concern about the
genuineness of his appointment.
According to the documents in our possession, the first letter addressed
to the Chairman of governing council of the institution was signed by the
former permanent secretary of the federal ministry of education, Dr.
MacJohn Nwaobiala, conveying the news Dr Saidu’s appointment as the Rector
of the institution to the Council.
The second letter, as the signature indicates, came from the office of the
chairman, governing council of the institution, Sen. Dipo Odujinrin, and
addressed directly to
Dr saidu.
The third letter, which is perhaps the most curious one coming more than
one later after the second, came directly from the federal ministry of
education, addressed directly to Dr. Saidu and signed by the permanent
secretary, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala.
The third, our investigations have revealed came to douse the suspicion
aroused by the manifest inconsistency of Dr Saidu’s appointment followed
in deviation from the previous long known procedures the appointments of
the Rectors before him followed.
Before his purported appointment, this medium has learnt, his
predecessors, Dr. Idris Bugaje and Dr Pius Salami, were appointed via
letters of appointment directly addressed to them by the ministry in Abuja
conveying President Olusegun Obasanjo’s approval of their appointments.
Therefore, the implication of his first letter coming from the governing
council of the institution negated the long held tradition of addressing
the appointees directly by the federal ministry of education in Abuja,
conveying Mr President’s approval of their appointments.
This discovery is incidentally coming to light at a time the minister of
education, mallam Adamu Adamu, set up 10 committees to investigate wide
range of allegations of misdemeanor against some people in the authorities
of some federal universities and
Polytechnics in the country.
Inaugurating the 10 committees in Abuja, Adamu said the move was in
response to allegations bordering on abuse of due process, mismanagement,
immorality, fraud and corruption, among others.
He said the committees were set up in line with the federal government’s
commitment to promoting due process, fairness, accountability and
transparency in the control and management of public resources.
When contacted for his reaction, the Public Relations Officer of the
institution, said such information was coming his attention for the first
time and that he had no comment.
After repeated calls to the cell phone of Dr. Saidu without response, a
text message was also sent to him requesting him to provide his side of
the story but no response came from as at the time of going to press.
Pointblanknews.com recalls that the Rector’s appointment has been enmeshed
controversy with some people doubting his appointment since it defied all
the previously known route through which such appointment came in the
past.
Reacting to the development some stakeholders in the institution who
prefer anonymity, have called on the minister to extend his probe to the
headship of NASPOLY which had been enmeshed the allegation of lack of “due
process, fairness, accountability and transparency,” in its emergence.
They express the belief that a probe by the minister into the issue would
put to rest all the doubts that had dogged Dr. Saudi’s appointment since
February last year.
They further noted that a probe into the quagmire would further show the
present administration’s readiness to go the whole hug cleaning the
nation’s institutions of learning of all moral questions and outstanding
allegations of lack due process and transparency.
