Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The governing council of the University of Abuja has set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the employment and promotions of staff in the university between 2011 and 2021.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Professor Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed, who inaugurated the committee yesterday, explaned that the committee was set up following concerns expressed by council members on the disposition of staff, proper staff mix, actual staff strength and requirements of the various segments of the university at its 91st Regular Meeting.
According to Mohammed, the ad hoc committee “will look at employments and or promotions made by this university from 2011 to 2021, a period of 10 years; cite the original certificates of all claims made by staff in their files, establish whether or not the positions staff were appointed and or promoted to during the period met laid-down requirements and were well deserved; identify where staff were over placed or under placed and make appropriate recommendations for adjustments, where necessary.
“Provide council with vital data on the number of academic staff in the employ of the university, department by department; staff mix to see whether or not the university is conforming to the requirements of the National Universities Commission (NUC); the number of non-academic staff vis-a-vis senior and junior staff; and the total number of security personnel.”
He added that the committee would “provide statistical information regarding state representation in line with the requirements of the Federal Character Commission; identify and make recommendations on all establishment breaches observed within the ten-year period and those responsible for them.”
The committee was given a month to conclude its assignment and make its report available to the next council meeting for consideration.
The council chairman noted that the task before the committee was huge, but expressed confidence in the capacity of its members to carry it through.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, described the establishment of the committee as a right step to restoring the integrity of the university.
Na’Allah appealed to the members of the committee to carry out their assignment with the fear of God, and ensure that they did the right thing without minding whose ox was gored.
“We have to break away from our troubled past by doing the right thing, because it is only by doing the right thing that we can show the world that we are not only a serious university, but prepared to provide credible leadership in the university system.
“We cannot be great if we do not know what we are doing, and this is a great step in letting the world know that we are serious about standards. This is about integrity, and the results of this audit will be very helpful in moving this university to greater heights.”
He assured the committee of the full support of the university’s management and charged the staff to give it their maximum cooperation.
The Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee, Mr. Buba Gamawa, assured that the committee would be above board in carrying out its responsibilities in spite of the sensitivity of the assignment.
