Academics in Kano have criticised Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s choice of an Associate Professor of Science and Technology Education, Dr Yahaya Isa Bunkure, as the Vice Chancellor of the State owned Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education.
Governor Ganduje, in a statement signed on Sunday by the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba, named Dr Bunkure the VC, allegedly ignoring the enabling law which provided for the appointment of a substantive professor as Vice Chancellor to head the University’s management.
DAILY COMMERCE checks revealed that Dr Bunkure was second on the list of 40 lecturers promoted to the rank of Associate Professors on the 1st October, 2020 by his primary employer, Bayero University, Kano from where he was appointed by the Governor as the Provost of Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education which metamorphosed to University recently after the operational license was granted by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
DAILY COMMERCE findings revealed that the appointment of a Vice Chancellor is the statutory responsibility of the Governing Council of each University as stipulated in the Section 3-6 of the University(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1993, Amendment Act 2003 and 2012 which also provided for the appointment of a Professor as the VC.
”As the University’s Visitor, the Governor has the final say on who is appointed the VC,” a professor with over three decades teaching experience at BUK, who pleaded anonymity, told DAILY COMMERCE.
”Besides, Dr. Bunkure has the experience required to run the University, having served for many years as the Provost of the defunct Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education,” he explained.
In his view, an academic in Kano who also preferred anonymity, described Governor Ganduje’s choice of Dr Bunkure as, ”Absurd and bizarre, totally against guidelines set up by the Ministry of Education”.
”Many things are wrong with his decision. The blatant abuse of law by appointing a Reader to the position of VC is shocking. You can see from the guidelines, even as a Professor you need a minimum of 5-10 years experience before you are qualified to be appointed as a vice chancellor.
”For me, I hope the incoming administration of Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf reverses this and focuses on upgrading the two existing State owned universities which are seriously contending with funding issues.
He said: ”The conversion of the College to University is not in the best interest of the people. Kano State already has two universities.”
He noted that, ”There is already an issue with the TETFUND allocation between the two State owned Universities. Thus currently the two state universities are sharing the allocation on a two-year arrangement. meaning, if one university gets it for two years, another will get it in the next two years.”
”So, by creating additional Universities, you have just increased the waiting period if that arrangement continues to rotate among the three Universities including the newest one.
”We all know how our universities are dependent on the TETFUND allocation for their survival, which university will stand a minimum of 3-4 years without the Federal allocation? not even a federal university.
”Another issue is that of staffing particularly the academic staff. How and where are you getting the staff to man departments based on NUC accreditation guidelines. We all know that the academic staff at colleges of education mostly possess single bachelor degrees with very few having postgraduate degrees,” he said.
Several attempts were made by our correspondent to get Dr. Bunkure react to the allegations, but to no avail at the time of press.
