AKOR SYLVESTER, Abuja
The Centre for Accountability and Public Engagement has condemned the appointment of the principal officers of the Federal College of Education (FCE) Odugbo in Benue state, describing the act as illegal and sabotage against the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration of President Bola Tinubu.
It said the appointment disregarded the position of the federal government on appointing principal officers to higher institutions, urging the Ministry of Education to cancel the appointment.
The letter of the centre signed by its Executive Director, Centre for Accountability and Public Engagement and Former, National President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Comrade Danielson Akpan, said the appointment failed to follow due process and should not stand.
It reads: “We received with serious concern the developments surrounding the appointment of Principal Officers at the Federal College of Education (FCE), Odugbo, Benue State.
“Information available to us, including official correspondence from the Federal Ministry of Education, clearly indicates that the process leading to the purported appointment of the Provost, Registrar and Bursar of the College was conducted in flagrant violation of the established rules governing such appointments in Federal Colleges of Education.
“Specifically, the Ministry itself acknowledged that the exercise contravened the Conditions of Service for Colleges of Education, Section 2 Subsection 8(I)(i) as well as the approved modalities for the implementation of CONTEDISS 15 for staff on Administrative and Accountant Cadres.
“It is particularly troubling that these appointments were made despite earlier directives from the supervising Ministry to suspend the exercise and re-advertise the positions in line with extant regulations. Such disregard for due process undermines institutional governance and erodes public confidence in the administration of our tertiary education system.
“We, therefore, view this development as part of a worrying pattern of administrative arbitrariness and procedural violations that have increasingly characterized Appointments in some tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Recent controversies surrounding leadership appointments in certain universities and other federal tertiary institutions have similarly raised questions about adherence to due process, transparency, and respect for established statutes governing higher education administration.
“These developments are particularly concerning at a time when the Federal Government is promoting its “Renewed Hope Agenda.” Actions that appear to disregard institutional regulations risk casting doubts in the minds of Nigerians about the sincerity of government commitments to transparency, rule of law, and good governance in the education sector.
“We, therefore, call on the Honourable Minister of Education to act decisively and without delay by: “Ensuring the immediate cancellation of the irregular appointments of the Provost, Registrar, and Bursar of the Federal College of Education, Odugbo, as already directed by the Ministry
“Compelling the Governing Council of the College to withdraw the letters of appointment issued in respect of the flawed exercise.
“Directing the re-advertisement of the positions and ensuring that the selection process strictly follows the provisions of the Conditions of Service and all relevant regulations governing Federal Colleges of Education.
“Sanctioning the Governing Council, the college management, or any individual found to have deliberately violated the established procedures so as to deter future occurrences.
“We hereby wish to emphasize that the credibility, stability, and integrity of our tertiary education institutions depend on strict adherence to due process in the appointment of their leadership.
Any attempt to circumvent these procedures threatens institutional autonomy, meritocracy, and accountability.
“We will continue to monitor developments closely and will not hesitate to take all legitimate steps necessary to defend the integrity of the tertiary institutions’ management in Nigeria”.
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