Group Decry Concerns Over Shortlist for Federal Polytechnic Rector Position

By Olu Benjamin

A group called Nasarawa Development Foundation has decried the concerns of some staff of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa over the shortlist of Dr Hauwa Mohammed for the substantive Rector position of the institution.

This is contained in a rejoinder signed by Mr Idris Musa Audi, representative of the group and made available to newsmen in Keffi local government area of Nasarawa state on Tuesday.

Our reporter reports that the title of the rejoinder is “A response to the stakeholders concerns” with a sub title “He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones or hide or throw stones at others”.

According to Audi, the recent statement by one Dr. Abdullahi Baba Makama and Dr. Halidu of the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa published recently on Education Monitor News expressing concerns about the shortlisting of Dr. Hauwa T. Muhammad for the substantive Rector position is both misguided and hypocritical.

He added that while the duo claim to advocate for transparency and adherence to the Polytechnic Act, their own actions and past transgressions reveal a double standard that undermines their credibility.

“It is a well-known fact that the above-mentioned stakeholders have a history of violating the very laws they now purport to uphold. Their allegations against Dr. Muhammad are baseless and devoid of any concrete evidence,” he said.

Audi pointed out that the duo have conveniently forgotten their own shortcomings which includes: Defective entry rank and qualification.

“Records has it that both Dr. Makama and Khalid have been implicated in irregularities related to their entry into the Polytechnic system, including discrepancies in their ranks and qualifications.

“Also, promotion without requisite qualifications: Both stakeholders have been promoted to higher academic positions without meeting the necessary academic criteria, such as holding a Master’s degree or a PhD.

“Also there have been instances where the two of them were placed in academic positions that exceeded their qualifications, leading to concerns about fairness and meritocracy. In a nutshell, their entry qualification was defective,” he said.

Audi added that It is hypocritical for the duo to criticize Dr. Muhammad’s qualifications while ignoring their own deficiencies.

“Their actions suggest a personal vendetta against her rather than a genuine concern for the institution’s well-being.

He added that their claims about Dr. Muhammad’s discipline being irrelevant to the Polytechnic Sector are unfounded as English language is a fundamental subject that is taught in all polytechnics, and according to him, it is essential for effective communication and academic success.

“They have forgotten that when Dr. Bulama became Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, there was no Science Laboratory Technology Department.

“When Salami became Rector, there was no Banking and Finance Department. When Bugagi became Rector, there was no Chemical Engineering Technology Department

“The immediate passed Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Idah and Yaba Tech all read English. So the role of a Rector involves overseeing the entire institution, not just a specific department,” he said.

He then concluded that the stakeholders’ concerns about Dr. Muhammad’s candidacy are baseless and hypocritical and their own transgressions and double standards undermine their credibility.

“It is imperative that the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, and the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje, to support the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa disregard these unfounded allegations and focus on selecting a qualified and capable Rector who can lead the institution to greater heights. END