Coalition seeks way out of Dutsin-ma University crisis

The lingering crisis over leadership of the Federal University, Dutsin-ma, Katsina State, has entered its fifth month which saw the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdu Kaita, going on suspension. Kaita was suspended by the governing council of the university over allegation of wrongdoing. Daily Trust reports that while the council claimed that its authority was undermined, […]

The lingering crisis over leadership of the Federal University, Dutsin-ma, Katsina State, has entered its fifth month which saw the Vice Chancellor, Professor Abdu Kaita, going on suspension. Kaita was suspended by the governing council of the university over allegation of wrongdoing.

Daily Trust reports that while the council claimed that its authority was undermined, the VC too was said to have felt undermined.  

A source said Chairperson of the council, Dr. Marliya Zayyana, had summoned a meeting where a decision to suspend the VC was taken. Professor Kaita on the other hand said the action was invalid because those at the meeting were not duly elected by the university congregation.

The crisis has taken a new turn as more petitions were filed against the council. 

Zayyana was said to have acted on a petition that raised several financial misdemeanors against the embattled VC.

A copy of the letter of suspension, signed by Dr. Zayyana, dated April 13, 2017, accused the VC of single handedly, without recourse to the council, dismissing 160 officials and reappointing some.

Another source said the council accused the VC of awarding contracts without procurement procedures.

A copy of another petition written by one Dr. Umar Abdullah, obtained by our reporter and copied to the EFCC, NUC and the Minister of Education on behalf of Concerned Indigenes Forum had also alleged that the VC misappropriated about N250m.

According to the petition, the VC was alleged to have paid a contractor N23m for the renovation of his office which was not advertised. Another contract on ICT and landscaping was allegedly given to another person at the cost N39m.

Others included rehabilitation of a water supply facility at N51m and hostels at N50m, while contract for the development of the university’s strategic plan was at the cost of N10m.

In his reaction, Prof. Kaita said the meeting that ratified his suspension was illegal and that the decision would not stand.

He said the main issue was on the implementation of staff audit report which the council failed to do after nine months.

He said the council threw away the report, which cost a huge amount and resources to arrive at, as soon as it was presented for unknown reasons.

Kaita further said the council was out to perpetuate a dishonest decision.

“They accused me of some wrongdoings and up till now I have not been served a copy of the allegations nor called to defend myself.

“I term it an illegal meeting for the following reasons: members present were not duly elected, genuine members elected by congregation were refused entry to the meeting but the council brought people whose membership expired and they were even not elected but nominated by the past administration,” he said.

 Both parties have since been invited and they have appeared before the Senate and House committees on tertiary education. Already, NUC and the Ministry of Education were also said to be looking for solutions to the problem.

Two separate court orders recognising Prof. Kaita as VC and another by the Industrial Court have been served on the respective parties.

Although the university is under an acting VC, Professor Armaya’u Bichi, a new letter has already been issued to Kaita to return all official vehicles in his possession, a move believed by many as a final step to do away with him.

However, the letter, signed by the Registrar, Aliyu Kanaki, said it was in conformity with the provisions of Section 4.3.2 (v) of the Condition of Service which states that “when an employee is suspended, the employee shall thereupon be called upon to handover any property of the university in his charge.” 

A new twist to the development was the emergence of another pressure group, Katsina Concerned Youths, alleging connivance between Prof. Bichi and the council to perpetuate several financial transgressions. The group was also believed to have sent its complaint to the EFCC.

However, the coalition of civil society organisations in Katsina State had sought the intervention of the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, over the matter, describing it as “unfair and malicious” treatment meted on Prof. Kaita by the council.

The chairman of the coalition, Bashir Ruwangodiya, urged the minister to investigate the process through which the VC was suspended and see if due process of established laws was followed.

He said there was the need to find out the root cause of the lingering quarrel between the parties and for immediate reversal of the suspension as the investigation progressed to ensure adherence to rule of law.

The coalition said the council that took the decision to suspend the VC was illegally constituted.

Ruwangodiya said the embattled VC was not given fair hearing before the suspension, and thus, violating his fundamental rights.

“Most of the allegations raised by the council border on financial impropriety, but also, the council made no attempt to bring the university tenders board into the matter,” he said.