Disagreeing with the media on General Hananiya

Facts are sacred, comments free. On that foundation, we can only build a house occupied by truth. In the last couple of months however public commentators appear to have taken licence and liberty, juxtaposing opinions for facts at will. Allegations of graft, highhandedness and bias levelled against the former Pro-Chancellor/Chairman governing Council of Adamawa State […]

Facts are sacred, comments free. On that foundation, we can only build a house occupied by truth. In the last couple of months however public commentators appear to have taken licence and liberty, juxtaposing opinions for facts at will.
Allegations of graft, highhandedness and bias levelled against the former Pro-Chancellor/Chairman governing Council of Adamawa State University, General Haldu Hananiya (rtd), with regards to a N13million official vehicle approved for him in line with the institution’s extant laws sections 15 and 16 comes to mind here.
Some publicists from a section of the media had portrayed the former Pro-chancellor in bad light on this issue without recourse to journalism standard code of ethics of fair hearing from the accused.
But, there are two points to make from the onset about their comments. The first is that most, if not all, of their remarks on this issue did not support their allegations with facts. They claimed that “while former governor Umar Fintiri on the verge of his approval, recommended Professor Bashir for the job of Vice Chancellor ADSU, not a few Adamawa people got surprised when on resumption, Fintiri’s successor Bala Ngilari under alleged massive intense pressure from former Governing Council Chairman of the institution, Major General Haldu Anthony Hananiya (rtd), appointed Professor David Joshua Shall as the vice chancellor of the institution.”
 Nothing could be more provocative and fictitious. For even the worst critics of General Hananiya are touched by the way and manner he balances everything based on merit in any position of authority he had held in the past. As for the case of appointment of the Vice Chancellor of Adamawa State University, there is no how a chairman of an institution of that magnitude will override the collective decision of other members as claimed by the author of the piece in reference.
Also, it couldn’t have been possible for General Hananiya to single-handedly mount intense pressure on a sitting governor who appoints members of the said board as alleged.
For the records, the reading public should know that there are extant laws governing the appointment of Vice Chancellors as spelt out in sections 15 and 16 of the state university. The role of a governing board stops at conducting interviews of interested and qualified candidates, who applied for such post. Names of the first three qualified candidates that emerged from the exercise are sent to the visitor who is also the sitting governor. It is the governor’s prerogative to approve only one among the three names sent to him by the board of the institution irrespective of any pressure from any quarters.
The second issue raised that seemed to have denigrated the personality and integrity of the former chairman of ADSU, is the perceived notion that an official vehicle released to him by the institution is seen as a personal favour from the Vice Chancellor. This is a dangerous allegation that cannot stand.
For avoidance of doubt, the said Toyota Prado Jeep was not a favour from the Vice Chancellor as erroneously claimed. Let me refer them to an official letter dated 2/2/2015 addressed to General Hananiya titled “Release of approved car for the immediate past Governing Council Chairman”. In the letter, it is stated in part thus: The Governing Council meeting chaired by the immediate past Chairman Alh. Umar Aliyu at its 47th meeting of 25th and 26th November, 2014, considered and approved the purchase of a vehicle to its immediate past Pro-chancellor and Chairman of Council as an elder statesman, and for his leadership style and contribution to ADSU. This letter was signed for the Bursar by one Isaac Chaji.
Based on this clarification, General Hananiya wishes to use this medium to refute all the allegations of perceived ethnic and religious considerations in the appointment of Professor Shall as vice chancellor of ADSU as well as the purported favour done to him by the latter.
Previous Governing Council Chairmen of the institution who benefitted from a similar benevolence are Admiral Murtala Nyako, Professor Samuel Aleideino, Professor Bawuro and the immediate past Chairman Alh. Umaru Aliyu.
On the commentators’ claim that “wealth and influence play pivotal roles, but religion and ethnic politics reign supreme in the state,” I beg to disagree. The truth is that religion has never been the basis for any of our mundane dealings in Adamawa State. A painstaking analysis of who gets what in the state is not only unnecessary; it is the height of distraction and idiocy. All appointments are purely done on merit irrespective of any prejudices.
For being appointed on merit as chairman of ADSU considering his wealth of experience in military and public service, General Hananiya has become a veritable victim of sectional press and political blackmail. Nonetheless, it is heart warming that he has refused to be distracted. If they cannot help to keep Adamawa people and indeed the state university management united, they can at least leave Christians, Muslims and the ethnic nationalities in the state to continue to live together as a people.   
Edward Wabundani wrote from Abuja