The controversy surrounding the selection process for the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina State, has taken a new turn,Daily Trust reports.
Last week, Daily Trust reported that tensions flared after the university’s governing council released a shortlist of candidates for the Vice Chancellor position. Some of the aspirants criticized the selection process, accusing the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Armayau Bichi, of influencing the outcome.
Investigations revealed that FUDMA, established in 2010 during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has faced recurring disputes over the appointment of Vice Chancellors.
In a recent development, one of the candidates, Prof. Rasheed Hamzat, sent a three-page petition to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, alleging that the selection committee violated key appointment guidelines.
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In the letter, obtained exclusively by our correspondent, Hamzat claimed the committee disregarded two major requirements: a minimum of 10 years of professorial experience and an age limit of 64 years at the time of assuming office.
“I wish to draw your attention to this issue. The guideline is very clear regarding the qualifications for the Vice Chancellor,” the letter reads in part. “It stipulates that the appointee must be a professor with at least 10 years of experience. Additionally, the individual must not be more than 64 years old at the time of assuming duty.”
“Despite this, the Governing Council of Federal University Dutsin-Ma blatantly ignored these criteria in its advertisement. This means that even a professor with less than one year of experience could be deemed eligible,” he added.
Prof. Hamzat, who is a professor of Agriculture, also raised concerns about the composition of the selection committee, arguing that it contravenes established guidelines for the appointment of a Vice Chancellor.
“As a result of these irregularities, six candidates were shortlisted, many of whom do not meet the required qualifications,” he said. “In fact, some of them have less than three years of professorial experience, which goes against both the official guidelines and the directive of the Honourable Minister.”
