Federal University Dutsinma crisis worsens

By Ben Agande,

Kaduna – The leadership crisis at the Federal University , Dutsinma in Katsina state appears to have taken the turn for the worst as the chairman of the governing board of the university, Dr. (Mrs) Marliya Zayyan has threatened to resign her position over alleged pressure being brought on her to upturn the suspension of the vice chancellor of the University, Professor Haruna Abdul Kaita.

The Board of the new University suspended the vice chancellor for six weeks to allow for investigations of several petitions against him bordering on corruption and abuse of office.

While the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu was said to have insisted that the allegations against the suspended vice chancellor must be thoroughly investigated, some traditional and political officials want the suspended vice chancellor reinstated immediately.

According to a source close to the chairman of the council of the university, since it is only the board that can reverse the suspension, immense pressure is being brought on the chairman of the council to convene a meeting in order to reverse the suspension.

The source said: “madam (chairman of the governing council) old them pointedly that she would rather resign her position than allow the suspended vice chancellor to resume without the allegations against him being investigated. Fortunately, she is on the same page with the minister who also believe that the allegations against the vice chancellor be investigated. If the pressure continue from some politicians and traditional institutions, she may resign”.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that the pressure on the chairman of the governing council is being spearheaded by some officials at the National Universities Commission in collaboration with officials of the Katsina state government. Both the chairman of council and the suspended vice chancellor are from Katsina state.

It will be recalled that the Governing Council of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma in Katsina State suspended its Vice Chancellor Prof. Haruna Abdu Kaita for a period of six months following series of petitions bothering on allegations “gross financial misconduct, willful violation of the procurement policy of the federal government, abuse of due process in award of contracts and the illegal sack of hundreds of staff including some in the much-sought-after professorial cadre”.

He he assumed office as the vice chancellor of the new university, controversy has trailed his every move, the worst being his controversial sack of 269 lecturers without recourse to the council of the university.

The university has since slipped from its ranking of being the 14th best in the country to 34 with the short tenure of the suspended vice chancellor.

The post Federal University Dutsinma crisis worsens appeared first on Vanguard News.