His Excellency Governor Yahaya Bello,
I write to congratulate Your Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, on your recent victory at the polls. Your re-election is an opportunity to consolidate on your development agenda in the State. I will like to use this medium to draw the attention of Your Excellency to the recent suspension order on some chief executives of state tertiary institutions in your domain.
Your Excellency, the recent suspension of the Vice Chancellor Kogi State University Anyigba, Professor Mohammed Sani Abdulkadir and the Rector Kogi State Polytechnics Lokoja, Professor Muhammed Atureta on account of purported failure to comply with Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy of the state government was NOT a popular decision.
Notably, the CEO of Kogi State Specialist Hospital Lokoja Dr Ahmed Attah unfortunately suffered similar fate about less than a month earlier. The penultimate, Provost of Kogi State College of Education Ankpa, Professor Danladi Zakeri was unceremoniously removed for purported case of insubordination.
None of these suspended officers had been indicted of embezzlements.
Although, the issuance of directive was not wrong parse if such policy would promote accountability in governance, however the peculiarities of those tertiary academic institutions cannot be ignored. University system is different from conventional civil service structures any where in the world.
I learnt that it has come to a point where some positions of importance such as chief security officer and directors in the university system are directly appointed from the seat of power in Lokoja. This is not in any way a demonstration of good governance to emulate in a civilised society. The actions generate more problems than they were meant to solve.
The suspended principal officers are people of achievements and these positions should be seen as opportunities offered to render service to their community. Professor M. S. Abdulkadir is the current Secretary General of Association of West African Vice Chancellors, a demonstration of his pedigree.
By reason, the indiscriminate suspension order has bad effect on the image of the State and might prevent well-meaning citizens of the state from honouring invitations to serve in similar capacities in the future.
Your Excellency, the governor appoints the Chair(s) of governing council(s) of university and polytechnics. Professor Adams Ahmed is chairing the governing council of the state varsity and Professor Sam Egwu is chairing the governing council of the state polytechnics. The duo are not baby professors of any standard in Nigeria. The governor is the Visitor of the institutions in trust for the good people of Kogi state. The existence of governing councils politely prevents the Visitor from taking up the role of ‘head-boy-ship’ to these institutions.
The professional and technical peculiarities of the university and sister institutions must be handled by those directly knowledgeable in the field. Suspension should be seen as last resort but not a weapon to cheaply use against highly distinct system of this magnitude.
That is why the office of the governor requires the election of one of the best capable hands with sufficient maturity, wisdom, education, morality, confidence, stability of mind without undue complexes and the integrity to man it. Your Excellency must not be seen to lack these qualities.
Those in charge of relevant Advisory roles in government should be able to advise the governor His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello that university system requires some degrees of autonomy to function effectively. I am not sure whether the culture of fear and ‘eye service’ occasioned by the desire to keep jobs would permit those on duty for that purpose to be effective. Poverty and greed have many branches of manifestations.
The first ten years of my post degree work experience was in Nigeria. Hence, I am not a novice. By privilege, for more than eight years, I have been deeply involved in teaching, learning, research, community service and strategic governance activities in a developed economy. Consequently, I am not oblivious of how things minimally should work.
The governor is the political head of the state but not ‘Mr know all’ kind of a thing or an avenue to prove that the office of the governor is ‘powerful’.
Your Excellency, again, the suspension activity of the governor is not popular. It does not tally with the norms and values attached to university education and Kogi State shouldn’t be an exemption on this occasion. My take is that the governing council(s) of the affected institutions have roles to play and must be given sufficient resources to put things right within reasonable time frame.
I honestly appeal to governor Yahaya Bello to reverse the suspension orders earlier placed on those chief executives of the state tertiary institutions to prove right your readiness to deliver good governance to the good people of Kogi State in Nigeria.
– Dr Aminu Musa Audu
