By Barr Sunday Wugira
I am agonized writing this piece about the state of affairs in the Adamawa State University Mubi, which was established in the year 2002 where academic activities started in 2003 with the admission of students. Every one in the state was ecstatically optimistic that the university will definitely, in the course of time become a center to recon with taking into cognizance the cream of Adamawa indigenes in the Academia across Nigeria and in the diaspora!
Professor Abdurrahman Ghaji was a perfect choice of a pioneer Vice Chancellor. A good foundation was laid save for the little impositions that were seen in the recruitment process which the system absorbed and it was unavoidable in any political clime like ours. The University management resisted some misfits into the system and moulded those that could be moulded. The University management made conscious and concerted effort to engage the brightest and the best permanently or temporarily on its academic roll. The University then paraded an Armada of intimidating personnel amongst its peers in Nigeria. Academics from all over were struggling for placement either permanently or temporarily on sabbatical or part time with the University because of the dexterous efforts made to ensure that the University lives true to its bidding.
This is evident in their pioneer products and perhaps subsequent products until politics sets in in the system after Professor Ghaji’s tenure. The University community became polarized along ethnic and religious divides. Professor Ghaji’s successor, Professor Jacob Kwagga could not stay long as the Sharks became too powerful until he was eased out in less than a year of his taking over the mantle of the University’s leadership.
Ab initio, the University finances was structured in such a way that it has multiple assured sources of income. 5% of the Local Governments monthly income, allocation from the State Government, Value AddedTaxes from contracts, payments and services from all businesses in the state, donations, grants and other internally generated revenues by the University itself. It was a wonderful concept and it worked. The University was financially buoyant and stable until politics again took the University by storm and a Dr Alkassim Abba was made an Administrator of the University in 2007.
Cronyism and favoritism flourished and this was the hallmark of virtually everything in the University. Unfortunately, everyone in the university was either muscled into keeping silent or was pushed out of the citadel for non conformity with the new Grand Commander’s policies. This heralded the beginning of the fall of the University. In fairness to Dr. Alkassim, he made his mark in terms of training and human capital development as over One Hundred academic staff of the University went on various post graduate studies across the globe. Out of these, almost a hundred were in pursuit of Doctorate Degrees. At a point, the University could boast of over Fifty Professors on its payroll permanently and a few on part time and sabbatical services. It was the University with an assured future.
All these promise were gradually being reversed and dashed first, because of the fear and weakness in Dr. Alkassim Abba. He pushed the best out of the management and Senate of the University. Vacancies were never advertised and Lilliputians were conscripted to fill in the vacancies. It started with the University Bursar, went on to the Director Works and Physical Planning, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Deans, Heads of Departments and what have you. At last, the University Senate was an assembly of the deaf, dumb and blind! Thus brain drain started for those with the sagacity to discern an impending doom.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Adamawa State Chapter was effectively put on collision course with the University management as the then garrison commander felt he must control every soldier in in his barracks! Most of the ASUU leaders were earmarked for dismissal for one reason or the other until certain factors halted the ‘accidental discharge’.
The second misfortune of Adamawa State University under Dr. Alkassim was his quest to dominate and insist by all means that he was the Número Uno in the University. This led him to fall effectively into the snare of dangerous boot lickers and palace courtiers who saw an opportunity in rising, not through merit and competence but through boot licking and praise singing!
Ultimately, Dr. Alkassim had his way. He led a congress of mostly bootlickers and palace courtiers until his tenure ended leaving behind a rudderless and confused management and Senate with a deeply divided and confused University community. Those cronies he left behind started fantasizing. They believed they had arrived and no one can dare them anymore.
The office of the Vice chancellor was advertised and applications were received, interviews were conducted, names were submitted for appointment and unfortunately, ‘an outsider’ was appointed in the person of Professor Joshua David Shall from the University of Maiduguri after a short stunt in acting capacity, of one Dr. Moses Zaruwa.
The stay of Professor Shall was also short lived as a result of the activities of the sharks again. I think he was appointed in late 2014 two days to the take over of Mubi by the insurgents and he could not even settle down before he was eased out. I had the privilege of meeting Professor Shall when the crisis leading to his ouster started. I told him point blank I don’t envy him and it’s unfortunate that he is a gentleman in the midst of dangerous men. I enumerated his mistakes thus: 1. He was mild to people with no regard to rules. 2. He was cool and gentle in the midst of crooks. 3. He was optimistic in the midst of people who never believed in the future. 4. He was a peacemaker in the midst of violent lots and 5. He was prudent in the midst of people who never believed in accountability. I sincerely sympathized with his situation but not that it was without a solution. He should go crazy and take cudgels and axe not carrot and stick! But he was a gentleman and he lost out.
Dr. Moses Zaruwa again, took over in acting capacity and subsequently, made the substantive Vice Chancellor! Today, for the very first time, a Senior Lecturer is heading a University in the 21st Century Nigeria. You can never find this opprobrium even in South Sudan! A Senior Lecturer!
Like I stated earlier, at a time during Dr. Alkassim’s reign, almost a hundred staff of the Adamawa State University were pursuing Ph. D programs across the globe and most of them if not all are through with their studies but more than half of these are no longer with the University! Those who are there now are tied to their bonds and assuredly, they will leave as soon as they discharged their bonds or when they muster resources to buy themselves out of the bond and move on!
Adamawa State University can boast of only one Professor as at today! One Professor Ndahi is the only remaining professor heading the school of post graduate studies for that purpose only. All the others left out of frustration and total absence of administration (don’t read maladministration in anyway here).
Today, Adamawa State University is bankrupt academically, administratively, financially and otherwise only awaiting burial if no concrete step is taken to salvage the institution and inject life into it. Almost all the courses are due for accreditation by the National University Commission and none of the departments meets the NUC requirement as at today starting from the ‘Vice Chancellor’! Staff of the University are being owed Salaries amongst other things.
My agony is borne by the politicization of our academic institutions and education entirely lately more especially in my dear State of Adamawa. Academic institutions are established with intent to train and mould characters and they ard they are also meant to outlive generations. What manner of training do you expect to be impacted by an impaired institution and what manner of character do you envisage from products of institutions headed by morticians? How long ultimately, would these institutions last?
By way of digression from the main gist here, the Post Primary Schools Management Board was recently saved from the clutches of a mentally unbalanced Executive Secretary that was a colossal failure as a Principal who was appointed without regard to rules and precedence. He came with fear and disbelieve in normalcy and he nearly brought down the whole system until he was eased out and it would take years to balance all these at the cost of productivity, sincerity, dedication, commitment, honesty and many other attributes needed to keep the system functional.
Recently too, I was miffed by a Facebook petition by one faceless ‘Michael Kosoko’ against the staff of School of Nursing and Midwifery Yola alleging favoritism and all manner of unacademic offenses under the sun. It was a kite flown to rigger off a process until the Honourable Commissiner for Information and Strategy,Mallam Ahmad Sajoh shot it down before it took off.
Back to our gist, I wish to call on all well meaning people – Nigerians and non Nigerians alike, to come together and join forces to rescue Adamawa State University Mubi from the clutches of strangulation and death! Posterity will never forgive us if we remain silent in the face of this monstrosity. Even if we don’t have children,Siblings or friends in the University as students, we must know that someday, leadership would be entrusted to a product of this institution and God save us that that product did not emerge through this madness believing that al is fair game so long as a desire is met by whatever means!
A university is governed by rules and its products must believe in rules. Anything short of that is evil and unacceptable! The University’s Governing Council, the Adamawa State government must know this as well as act in this regard and those who are pretending that the rules should not and cannot apply to them should brace up for the change the change that has come!
We must take back our University from Morticians and stand on our feet saying ‘MORTICIANS, NEVER AGAIN!’
There is a great world of difference between a University and a Mortuary!!!
In view of all the myriad of problems outlined earlier, the question, as thrown by some contributors is, where lies the solution to this cancer that has eaten deep into the fabric of the University?
The solution honestly is not far fetched. First and foremost, all the officers of the University Management with the exception of the Registrar are illegal and unlawful occupants of their offices. They came through a faulty process meant to ensure the ascendance of cronies and entrench mediocrity devoid of merit by whatever name!
In the treatment of gangrene, amputation is the best life saving option for the patient. This option cannot be avoided for the University. From the Vice Chancellor, Bursar, the Director Works and Physical Planning and all others so brought and appointed unlawfully be eased out.
Deans of Faculties and Heads of Departments be scrutinized to ensure that only the ones with capacity and ranking are provided the opportunity to compete for the office. The composition of the University Senate be reviewed more especially with regard to elected congress members. Election in its strictest sense be observed and the will of the majority be respected and upheld.
A competent no nonsense Sole administrator be appointed to oversee the affairs of the University for a period of One Hundred and Twenty days only.
Advertisement be placed for the vacant positions and the selection and appointment process be completed within Ninety days. The Selection Committee members should be made up of Academics of proven integrity and record from across Nigeria. Only applicants who are suitably qualified be invited for the interview.
A visitation panel be constituted by the Visitor to audit staff qualifications, recommend right sizing of placements and promotions and review also the suitability or otherwise of staff with emphasis on the academics in respect of qualification, language proficiency, publications, character and compatibility.
Efforts be made to reach out to academics that had course to leave out of frustration and despair with the objective of getting them back.
The University development plan be reviewed and measures be put in place to ensure compliance
All working documents and rules be reviewed and updated to meet up with best practices everywhere while the University establishment law is enhanced and amended.
Punitive measures be taken against all those involved in one form of malfeasance or the other to serve as deterrent to others. A roll of Honour and Horror be put in place for a choice of place of listing by members of the University Community.
The University Visitor, the Governor of the State, must ensure less interference with the affairs of the University and empower the Governing Council to take charge, in fact and indeed, of all matters of the University according to law without let or hinderance.
All these be done within One Hundred and Eighty days
The University be insulated from politics and politicians be made to know that the University is not an appendage of a Political Party or a political ground!
The situation is also applicable to other institutions in the state. We are gradually drifting from excellence and productivity to non performance and failure in virtually all the institutions in the state. Ethnic and religious considerations in appointments and admissions is having a crippling effect on the state. Institutions in the state now compromise excellence for religious considerations
God help our situation in Adamawa.
What you fail to elucidate is the reason behind Prof Shall’s exit (perhaps world record most brief VC), which I will helpfully refer to EFCC and ICPC for clarification. That was also the work of Sharks in the desert. Blind me!
Hmm
God punish and continue to punish those behind the near total collapse of Adamawa State Uni.