Fred Harrison, Abuja
Strong indications have emerged that the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu may have ignored a Presidential directive on the pending issue of the appointment of a substantive rector for the Federal Polytechnic, Offa.
The delay in announcing a rector for the institution several months after a letter from the Presidency appointing a rector has caused a controversy over the appointment of a substantive rector for the institution.
The Network gathered that the issue of the appointment of a rector for the institution became controversial after the result of a selection examination and interview conducted by a Selection Board was released in February.
Investigations reveal that the best three candidates who sat for the examination were recommended by selection board to the Governing Council for the process of the appointment of a new rector for the institution.
The three recommended candidates according to the order of performance are: Dr Raji Sarafadeen who came first with 80.8 percent; Dr Kadiri Kumoru (79.9)and Dr Akinde Mukail who came third with 75.4 marks.
Findings by the Network revealed that the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, recommended the appointment of Kadiri Kamoru for the position Rector of the institution.
Kamoru came second in the selection examination.
However, the Minister’s position was overruled by the President in a letter of March 30, 2022 from the office of Chief of Staff, Prof Ibrahim Gambari.
The President, in the letter, recommended Dr Sarafa Adebayo Raji who came first in the examination as the Rector of the institution.
The Chief of Staff said that Raji’s appointment was based on merit.
The letter reads, “Recommendation for Approval of the Appointment of Dr Kamoru Oluwatoyin as Rector, Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwarra State.
“With reference to your letter DHE/POLYXV/C.I/VII/781 dated first February 2022, I write to convey to you Mr President’s approval for the appointment of Dr Sarafa Adebayo Raji on merit as the Rector of Federal Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwarra State for a single term of five years with effect from 28 March, 2022.
Please accept the assurances my highest regards.”
Curiously, five months after Gambari’s letter to the Minister of Education, conveying the President’s choice of Raji as the preferred candidate, a rector has not been appointed for the institution.
Obviously, the President’s letter which appointed Dr Raji has been left to gather dust in the archives of the Ministry of Education, Abuja.
Findings by the Network shows also that the Deputy Rector, Dr Larongbe Akanbi Afolabi has been running the school in acting capacity as the rector since 13th January, contrary to the stipulation of the Act that an Acting rector should not be in that capacity for more than six months.
The management crisis in the institution deepened on Thursday when the Registrar, Mr Oni Adetunji died on 18th August 2022.
The implication of his death is that examination results cannot be considered and certificate cannot also be signed.
The leadership vacuum means that the institutions Academic Board cannot hold while meetings of Committees are suspended thereby bringing the institution and its operations on its knees.
When our correspondent contacted the Spokesman of the Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Goong, he said that the process is for the President to appoint on the recommendation of the Minister of Education.
He promised to get back to our correspondent after going through the letter written by the President’s Chief of Staff to the Minister on the issue.
Our correspondent delayed the story till the following day to get his response to it which had not come as of the time of filing this report