The Kogi State College of Health Sciences and Technology Idah formerly School of Health Technology Idah was established by a bill that was passed into law by the Kogi State House of Assembly on the 29th of February, 2014 and signed by former Governor Capt. Idris Ichala Wada on the 13th of March, 2014. This was a dream and clear ambition that was pursued and achieved by the former and pioneer Provost of the College, Comrade Adams Sule while he was leaving office.
Following this remarkable and unprecedented selfless achievement by Com Adams Sule and his management team, the college had a face lift and became expanded in scope, structure and functions because of the obvious presence of a legal spine for its operations. The first ever Governing Council for the College was inaugurated in the Government house then by Capt Wada Idris and soon after that the college became enlisted among the comity of Colleges of Health Sciences and Technology in Nigeria.
Among many provisions in the law is the provision for the appointment of the Provost and the Deputies, the academic board, and introduction of additional schools to the college. According to section 23 (1) of the college law, ‘’there shall be appointed a provost of the college who shall be the chief academics and executive officer of the college and shall exercise authority over the staff and be responsible for peace, order and security of the college’’. Subsection (4) provides, ‘’ the provost shall hold office for a term of four years and may be eligible for reappointment for another FINAL term of four years.
With the above provision of the college law and the scheme of service no Provost shall spend more than maximum of eight years as Chief Executive Officer of the institution. The second term is final according to the law. In January 2016, Mr Nuhu Solomon Anyegwu was appointed Provost of the College and was reappointed for the second and FINAL term in 2019 by Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello upon the recommendation of the governing council which means that his term in office ends by this 2023.
It is therefore shocking that the current Provost of the college Mr Anyegwu Solomon rather than concentrating on how to solve the serious problems ravaging the college, rather than confronting the monumental age long challenges seeing in the college system deficiencies, he is busy chasing, scheming, and plotting how to secure further tenure elongation that is not a product of any known law, norm, policy or scheme of service and he does that boastfully. As critical stakeholders of the college, we aware of how Mr Anyegwu is patronising some top Government officials with inducements including some members of the Kogi State House of Assembly to help him lubricate his greed, and nurture his illegal and inordinate ambition by quickly amending the college law so that he can secure illegal tenure elongation.
Mr Nuhu Solomon Anyegwu one would say is the luckiest head of institution in Kogi State under the administration of Governor Yahaya Bello that was not sacked then for his failure to scale through the staff verification exercise for almost two years due to issues surrounding his credentials, absence from duty without permission, and forged Grade Level 14 promotion letter. One then wonders how such a huge beneficiary of the clemency of Government would now turn around to manipulate the system in order to stay glued to power as if though government does not have regulations and administrative control anymore.
It is in the light of this that we want to bring to the attention of Government, Governing Council of the College and other critical stakeholders that in the interest of peace upon which no organization can succeed, the secret permutations, scheming and plotting by Mr Anyegwu must never be allowed to see the light of day for whatever justifications. Apart from the fact that this has never happened anywhere in Nigeria, it will be setting a very bad precedence for the future and also precipitate industrial disharmony in the college.
Conclusively, we want to implore and appeal to the Kogi State Governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello to uphold the sanctity and the provisions of the college law by not granting Mr Anyegwu any further extension in office after the final one given to him in 2019. We also call on the speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly as well as the honourable members of the State House of Assembly to disallow Mr Anyegwu from pushing for amendment of the college law to satisfy his own selfish ambition.
Abraham Bello
For: Concerned Members of Staff of the College
