…Says Pantami’s Professorship Unresolved Issue
The Federal University of Technology Owerri FUTO Alumni Association had said that the appointment of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, as professor by their alma mater, is an unresolved issue.
The NEC of the Association said in a statement on Friday after National Executive Council emergency meeting that they have taken note of the position of the National leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU and that of FUTO ASUU in agreeing with the inappropriateness of the said appointment.
The statement was signed by the National President Ndubuisi Chijioke and the National Secretary Kingsely Azuarua.
The FUTO Alumni Association maintained that the appointment remains inexplicable and questionable.
“We are all pained by the continuing dent on our image and reputation in recent times. This is not acceptable. They said
The Association also dissociated itself from a meeting by a group identified as FUTO Alumni Elders with the Vice Chancellor and management of the institution.
The group said that it did “not bestow any privilege on any group to usurp or lay claim to be representatives of the
Association or to act without the consent of the Association or act in any way that brings the Association to disrepute or public opprobrium.”
The association stated that FUTO Alumni Association is not involved in the scheduled dinner by the group called FUTO Alumni Elders in which the University Management is being hosted.
He said: “NEC considers the use of the Association’s name in the promotion of this event without its consent, a grievous infringement and indeed subversive of the Alumni leadership”
They insisted that the Association has not committed any funds or authorised the University to avail or expend any fund for this event from the Alumni funds in its custody, as being alleged.
“We wish to dissociate FUTO Alumni Association and her members from this event and all Chapter executives have been mandated to communicate this position immediately to their members”.
According to them the Board of Trustees of the Association have been briefed of these NEC decisions and are fully in agreement with the decision.
