Just as the tenure of Bindow is due to terminate in about five weeks, the government has suddenly constituted a Governing Council for the university. To watchers and stakeholders alike, the move is suspicious, given that the tenure of the current regime lacks the time frame to conclude procedural requirement.
The leadership crisis rocking the Adamawa State University, Mubi, has continued to rage unabated, SaharaReporters can report.
This follows a move by the outgoing administration to appoint a new Vice Chancellor (VC) in what stakeholders have described as a violation of the procedure as enshrined in the edict establishing the institution.
Investigations by SaharaReporters revealed that the last substantive VC of the university was Prof. David Shall Joshua, who emerged following proper compliance with the law.
Adverts to that effect were placed in the national dailies in June 2014, and the interview was held in August — two months later.
His name was among the first three transmitted for confirmation as required by the law, and he was appointed VC on October 22, 2014.
However, he was kicked out of the office by the Bindow administration in September 2015, and since then the university has remained without a substantive VC.
To appoint a VC for the university, the procedure stipulates that the vacancy must be announced in national dailies for at least six weeks, and that the Governing Council, the Senate and a representative of the non-academic staff of the university would constitute the panel to consider applicants.
But the university has operated for four years now without a properly constituted management council, raising concerns among several critical stakeholders.
Just as the tenure of Bindow is due to terminate in about five weeks, the government has suddenly constituted a Governing Council for the university.
To watchers and stakeholders alike, the move is suspicious, given that the tenure of the current regime lacks the time frame to conclude procedural requirement.
The general agitation among critical stakeholders is that the government plans to circumvent due process by constituting the Professor Salihu Mustapha-led Governing Council.
The heated concerns have been premised on the outgoing government's last-minute massive employment into the civil service.
While many have conceded that the Governor is still in charge and can carry out official functions, including employments, they are also insisting that there must be "strict compliance with the procedure".
Chakukuyada Godwin, one the stakeholders who expressed reservations about the move, said: "This illegality that is about to happen can throw the university community into confusion.
"The law that established the university states clearly without ambiguity that appointment of the VC and other principal officers has to be published in two or three national dailies for at least six weeks for reception of applications from suitable applicants. At the expiration of the said six weeks, a date would be set for interview of shortlisted applicants."
He argued further that "the current administration, which has barely five more weeks to go, has initiated the process; and we could feel that they want to appoint a VC against all odds".
He wondered why after Prof. Joshua was kicked out, no effort was made to restore normalcy, except that Dr. Moses Zaruwa, DVC administration, was appointed in acting capacity.
After six months of acting, he was made substantive VC without going through due process.
This development did not go down well with the Academic Staff Union of university (ASSU), who vehemently kicked against it, and went on strike for several months until he was removed.
The union pointed out that a substantive VC could only emerge through due process, thus it would always resist any faulty process that tends to undermine the independence of the university.
Following his removal, Prof. Kaleptapwah Farauta, who was the Commissioner of Education, was directed to hold the office in acting capacity until a substantive VC is produced.
Madam Farauta is still acting after about two years.