…. Says anyone dissatisfied should follow due process to challenge.
By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
As controversy continues to trail the promotion of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami to a Professor by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, National Alumni Association of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi has risen in his defense advising anyone not comfortable with the development to go to court to challenge it.
Addressing Journalists at end of a two days stakeholders conference held at the Development Exchange Center (DEC) in Bauchi, the Alumni Association stated that, “on Prof. Isah Ali Pantami Professorial, we wish to congratulate him on the appointment and assure him we throw our support to him on achieving the highest rank in academic career and the achievement he and his team recorded in the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy”.
Reading the text of the conference, the National President of the ATBU Alumni Association, Mohammed S. Wada said that, “On his appointment as Professor by Federal University of Technology Owerri. We want to observed that every University have its own statute (law) that makes the University autonomous”.
He added that, “The University autonomy was the major struggle of university base Unions for decades. Therefore, if Federal University of Technology Owerri said they have followed all due process for the appointment of the honorable Minister to a Professor by following due process as stated in the statutes through external assessment, A&PC, Council and Senate as stated in their statutes and condition of service, there should not be any fuse about it on the personality of Porf. Isa Ali Pantami”.
“If anyone or group of persons are aggrieved on the appointment, they should approach the council of the University with their partition and or query”, he declared.
According to him, “The association also rejected in totality part of the new condition of service that sideline our members with third class from getting appointment in the University they graduated from. Surprisingly, outside the University, oil companies and multinational organizations recognized and appreciate third class products of the university due to their practical capabilities. A mother cannot abandon her children no matter the high level physically challenges of the child”.
Mohammed Wada added that Considering the excellent performance of the members of the Alumni in their various places of work within and outside the country, “The association is hereby appealing to the university to ensure that certificates obtained must be equivalent to the knowledge gained in the University” .
The Alumni also resolve that The university must find a way of testing the practical capabilities of students as apart of examination, as according to it, “the saying goes examination is not a true of individual ability. This will give way for our graduate to compete favorable and knowledgeably with other graduates from other University worldwide” .
“We also resolved to intervene and collaborate with the University management to ensure that problem of transcript that normally take a very long time to be prepared which normally result in long process and delay was solved”, it added.
The alumni said that the delay normally leads to our members losing a great opportunity of sponsorship and other opportunities with and outside the country saying, “We will suggest that the university should be automated the process of transcript application which will take less than 48 hours for it to be delivered to the institution or organization requesting for it” .
The alumni further resolve that due to low responses of candidates seeking admission into postgraduate studies in the university particularly Faculty of Management sciences after the movement of Faculty to Gubi Campus, the university should move all self-financed courses domicile in Gubi campus to Yelwa campus because of prevailing challenges of accommodation and security so that we continue having high patronage of our postgraduate programs.
“We urged the university administration to ensure steady power supply and internet services in the two campuses of the university to ensure smooth digitalization of university activities that will ease learning and increase revenue generation of the University”, it appealed.