Academic activities have come close to complete setback at the National Institute of Construction Technology and Management (NIC), Uromi in Edo State, South South, Nigeria as the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu and the governing council are at each other’s jugular over appointment of Rector of the school.
The crisis deepened when Education Minister’s directive was flouted by the governing council over who the Minister wanted as a new Rector of the Institution, particularly when the school management decided to advertise
for the replacement of the outgoing Rector, Prof. S. O Onohaebi in a National Newspaper in January 2022, prompting a lot of applications.
From the interview report, which was made available to journalists, Barr. Ainabor Augustine, an indigene of Edo Central Senatorial District emerged tops, scoring 75.4% and followed by Dr. Aigbomian Sunday who scored 72.1% with Dr. Agbadua Bamidele coming third with 70.4%.
On the strength of their performances in the interview and screening, the Honourable Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu recommended them to President Muhammad Buhari for appointment as the Rector of the Institution in order of performance.
But in a swift turn of events, the Governing Council of the Institution readvertised the position, including that of Chief Lecturers in two national dailes on August 8th, 2022. This development, however has thrown in Dr. Sunday Aigbomian as the Acting Rector of the Institution, a man that emerged second in the previous interview and screening exercise for the position.
In his reaction, Dr. Ainabor Augustine, has urged the Honourable Minister of Education “not to sanction this illegality”, describing the process that brought in Dr. Sunday Aigbomian as the Acting Rector of the Institution as un – procedural, illegal and unlawful.
He contended that Dr. Sunday Aigbomian was “employed afresh as a Chief Lecturer of the Institution after the initial interview for the position of a Rector. The process that brought him as a Chief Lecturer was not only fraudulent, but illegal, marred with irregularities and has brought the entire institution and by extension the ministry of Education into public ridicule.
“Before applying for the position, he was a permanent staff of the Edo State Polytechnic at USEN. As at the time of his application, he didn’t resign his appointment as a lecturer from USEN polytechnic. It was while we were waiting for the next stage of the appointment, that the Governing Council interviewed him at about 6pm after the convocation of the Institution on July 16th, 2022, appointed him as Chief lecturer on July 18th, 2022 and made him an Acting Rector on July 26th, 2022.
He however appealed to the Minister of Education to investigate, punish any one found culpable in the “said illegal appointment”, cancel the second advertisement that have been published by the governing council for the position of a Rector and restore the first process wherein the names of three persons were recommended on the order of performance.
The appointment of the acting Rector Sunday Aigbomian, according to a senior academic staff of the instructions is calculated to rubbish the achievement of president Buhari and the minister of Education Adamu Adamu.
“We cannot afford any crisis in this sector as the ASUU strike has already affected the good work of the government. All we are saying, if there is any amendment to the guidelines on the appointment of the Rector , it should go though parliamentary process, not an individual working against the minister of Education conniving with governing council.”
The development is currently affecting the morale of lecturers as they are reluctant to go to classes.
