Re: Recruitment scandal hits Federal University, Dutsin-ma

According to the report, the university’s catchment area, consisting of Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and Zamfara is not reflected in the composition of the university’s workforce. The report pointed out among other things that there was imbalance and also series of scandals involving the vice chancellor.For instance, according to the report, only 3 out of […]

According to the report, the university’s catchment area, consisting of Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto and Zamfara is not reflected in the composition of the university’s workforce. The report pointed out among other things that there was imbalance and also series of scandals involving the vice chancellor.
For instance, according to the report, only 3 out of the dozens in management team of the university are from the north-west zone as a whole! Katsina State indigenes are taking the lead in the total workforce only on paper as the strategic post shows the contrary. These actions of course are against the spirit of the federal character principle as well as the universities catchment area policy.
As expected, this has drawn the attention of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Education, whose members visited the university to see things for themselves and later queried the VC over the alleged infraction. The committee also demanded explanation as to why Benue State (which is in North Central and not a catchment area, but from where the vice chancellor hails) has more indigenes working in the university than Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara states combined.
To further compound the problem, states like Osun, Plateau, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Anambara, Oyo and Edo, that are not even in the university’s immediate location i.e. North, except Plateau- have between 8 and 12 staff members while States like Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto have between 3 and 7. While Jigawa State has none!
Also, with the reported appointment of the VC’s as senior lecturer and HOD, and younger brother as chief security officer and later (after so much pressure) as a newly-created office holder of a senior special adviser on security, one will begin to wonder why all these are allowed to happen.
Now, we all know that it will not make any sense for anyone to come and tell us that we lack the manpower in Katsina State or North-West in general, and that we can’t satisfy the university community with sufficient personnel whatsoever. Katsina State and indeed the entire north-west region are known to be among the bests in terms of education. That’s a fact!
We (the people in the catchment area of the university) collectively join the House Committee on Education in demanding the full explanation of these unwholesome practices and their immediate remediation for the betterment and social coexistence of the nation in general.

Mustapha Saddiq wrote from Bataga-rawa, <[email protected]>;