Lecturers at the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa in the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, have lamented the alleged refusal of the current Acting Rector of the institution, Hauwa Tanko Mohammed to vacate office after expiration of her six months tenure.
The lecturers who expressed their dismay and displeasure with the insistence of the Acting Rector to continue to occupy the position despite the expiration of her six months tenure, called on the federal government to urgently look into the matter in order to make the necessary clarifications to the management and staff of the institution.
Speaking on behalf of the lecturers on Sunday in the LGA, a senior lecturer in the Polytechnic who pleaded anonymity because he was not permitted by the school’s management to speak on the matter, told our correspondent that the current situation had unsettled most lecturers in the institution who were either expecting the appointment of another Acting Rector or a Substantive Rector for the Polytechnic.
The source explained that the Ag. Rector had assumed office on July 1, 2024, after the expiration of the tenure of Samuel Obarakpo, who equally acted for six months.
Arewa PUNCH learnt that Obarakpo had then been appointed as Ag. Rector due to the non-constitution of the Polytechnic Governing Councillor by President Bola Tinubu.
The Council, if constituted, was supposed to work towards getting a substantive Rector for the school.
The source, therefore said Hauwa Tanko Mohammed was supposed to have exited office on December 31, 2024, but expressed dismay that until date, she has refused to handover the office to any of the deputy rectors of the Polytechnic pending the appointment of a substantive Rector by the Governing Council.
“As lecturers of the Polytechnic, we all expected to get a new Rector in this month of January because the Acting Rector’s tenure ended last month. This is an institution and it is expected that things should be done in an orderly manner.
“So, if her tenure has expired as an acting rector, it is expected that she should allow another person to continue to pilot the affairs of the institution.
“The right thing she should have done was to handover to any of the Deputy Rectors who is qualified for the position. Our concern as lecturers is that things should be done the right way in the Polytechnic,” the source added.
The source further alleged that “the Acting Rector lacks the requirements and moral rights to contest for the highest office in the academic institution. I mean the office of Rector, and this is because she was penalised in 2015 by a committee constituted by the Department of General Studies of the Polytechnic for plagiarism.
“The four man committee chaired by Sunday Adudu of the department had established that Hauwa Tanko Mohammed alongside others wrote a book titled, ‘Issues in Technical English: Communication Skills For Polytechnics and other Tertiary Institutions,’ which had in it, words copied directly from a book, ‘The Basic Grammar of English.’
“It further established that Hauwa Tanko Mohammed used the plagiarised book for her promotion from the level of Senior Lecturer to Principal Lecturer in 2014. The Committee further recommended, among others, that Hauwa Tanko Mohammed should be demoted as a penalty for engaging in plagiarism,” the source alleged.
Arewa PUNCH’s checks meanwhile confirmed that, Section 16 subsection 3 of the Federal Polytechnic Act, 2019 as amended states that, “in the case of vacancy in the office of the Rector, the council shall appoint an acting rector who shall not be in office for more than six months.”
Following the appointment of Major General Lawrence Onoja (Rtd) as the Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa Governing Council, alongside the members of the council, it was expected that getting a substantive rector for the polytechnic would be faster.
Our correspondent gathered that the council had conducted interviews following an earlier advertisement for the Rectorship position before it was constituted, and Hauwa Tanko Mohammed, alongside eight others, were shortlisted for the position.
Meanwhile, another source in the know among the top lecturers disclosed that “the current Ag Rector seems to be enjoying the support of the Governing Council and that explains her recalcitrant attitude and disobedience of the
Section 16 subsection 3 of the Federal Polytechnic Act, 2019, as amended.
“This is why she has chosen to remain in office despite the expiration of her six months tenure due to the delay by the Council to appoint a Substantive Rector for the Polytechnic and still, the Council has remained not too bothered about this aberration.”
Reacting to the development in a telephone interview, the Acting Rector of the Polytechnic, Hauwa Tanko Mohammed, told Arewa PUNCH to “discard the allegations,” describing them as “lies.”
She explained that she was duly permitted by the Governing Council of the institution to remain in office until further notice.
Tanko Mohammed said, “It is a lie because I have been given a letter by the Council to continue as Acting Rector pending the outcome of our results,” she added.
On his part, also in a telephone interview, the Chairman, Governing Council of the Polytechnic, Major General Lawrence Onoja (Rtd), assured Arewa PUNCH that the Council was working hard towards resolving all the issues concerning the Rectorship position in the institution.
“I have written to the Minister to permit me to allow her to continue to act until further notice. I have done the necessary requirements, what should be done, and that is the procedure,” he clarified.
