The recent handover of the leadership of the Federal Polytechnic, in Nasarawa local government, Nasarawa State to an overseer by the immediate past rector, Dr. Abdullahi Alhassan Ahmed, following the expiration of his tenure, is currently generating tension within the institution.
Those familiar with the succession process in the Polytechnic argued that the former rector’s action was a misnomer as it violates the existing Act which regulates activities in that tier of education.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that Dr. Alhassan had served his five-year term out in December 2023 having been appointed as substantive rector of the institution in 2018.
Going by the stipulation of the Federal Polytechnic Act 2019 as amended, the former rector was supposed to have handed over to the most senior person who is expected to administer activities of the school in acting capacity until the appointment of a substantive administrator by the Federal Ministry of Education.
It was also envisaged that the former rector ought to have put the mother ministry on notice few months to the expiration of his tenure to enable it prepare for a change of baton.
Section 9 sub-section 5B of the Federal Polytechnic Acts 2019 as amended states that, “The Deputy Rector shall act in the place of the Rector when the post of Rector is vacant or if the Rector is for any reason absent or unable to perform his functions as Rector.”
Meanwhile, investigation by our correspondent indicates that the erstwhile rector rather handed the mantle to Dr. Obarakpo Samuel James, the Deputy Rector, Academics as overseer in violation of the existing Act.
A circular detailing the emergence of Dr. James as overseer and obtained by our correspondent, was dated January 2, 2024 and duly signed by the Registrar of the Polytechnic, Dr. Munir Ahmed.
It reads in part, “Appointment of Polytechnic Overseer: Following the expiration of the tenure of Dr. Abdullahi A. Ahmed (January 2018 – December 2023) as Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, Dr. Obarakpo Samuel James, at a management meeting held on Tuesday, 2nd January, 2024, has been appointed to Overseer the affairs of the Polytechnic pending further directive from the Federal Ministry of Education to that effect”.
The development, our correspondent learnt has created discontent among the institution top officials with consequent tension within its environment.
Commenting on the development on Sunday, a former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics of the institution, Dr. Hussaini Yusuf, described the turn of event as sad and unfortunate, adding that the action will taint the integrity of the revered institution and its management.
“We are surprised because when a Rector’s tenure ends, normally the deputy rector is the person that is handed over to in an acting capacity.
“The people are not happy. The matter is beyond us. It is the ministry that should act on it. There is a lacuna in the ministry’s action because they ought to have written to him to handover to another person as the Acting Rector but they have been silent about it,” he stated.
Our correspondent reports that since the development, questions have aroused as to the real reasons behind the erstwhile rector’s action with many alleging that he may be preparing ground for a return for six months acting mandate.
“I think that the former Rector named our Deputy Rector, Academics as Overseer to acquire time so that when the Governing Council of the Polytechnic is appointed by President Bola Tinubu through the Federal Ministry of Education, he would be able to come back into the system as Acting Rector for another six months before a substantive Rector will be appointed for the school.
“I see it as a deliberate act to remain in power,” a top management staff of the institution, who spoke to journalists in confidence, alleged.
He also alleged the possibility of collusion between some highly placed staff of the ministry and the former rector on the matter.
However, the Director of Press in the Federal Ministry of Education, Benjamin Bem-Goong, doubted such possibility even as he said the position of an overseer is a new creation which has no place in the Federal Polytechnic Act.
“There is nothing like Overseer as a designation in the lineup of leadership in the Polytechnic,” he explained while promising to speak to the Director of Polytechnic in the ministry on the matter.
Meanwhile, when contacted to get the response of the immediate past Rector on the matter, he simply said “All those are mere allegations from detractors.”
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