A group of Concerned Alumni from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi has written an open letter to the Pro-Chancellor and members of the Governing Council, expressing alarm and worry about the selection process for a new Vice Chancellor and other principal officers.
In the letter made available to journalists, they claim that three internal members of the ATBU Governing Council have compromised the process by accessing and sharing confidential information about applicants.
The letter was signed on behalf of the group by Bldr. Maigari Sambo, Isiaka Dambo, FNSE; Eng. Karamba Pali and Dr. Ezra Timlong
The alumni argue that this action is not only immoral but also undermines the integrity of the selection process and ATBU’s reputation.
“Prof. AY Dutse, Prof. AM Babayo and Prof. SY Umar who are members of the ATBU Governing Council are known to be very close to and working for one of the candidates,” the letter noted.
They request that the Pro-Chancellor, General Jekada, take immediate action to address this issue, including disqualifying the trio from further participation and considering their resignation from the Council.
According to the concerned alumni, the decision for their open letter was borne out of the need for transparency and fairness in the selection process to maintain public confidence and ensure the university’s growth and excellence.
They claimed that the action of the trio have led news spreading “about how one of the VC applicants has no primary school certificate and that another applicant is a former Vice Chancellor”
The letter reads further, “How did they become privy to such information if they had not gone through the applicants’ submissions. One of them has been quoted to be discussing the contents of the applicants’ CVs and how they can bury the ambitions of the opponents of their preferred candidate.
“At this point we hereby pose this question that bothers on ethics, morality and procedure: Should this trio be allowed to participate in any process leading to the appointment of either the Vice Chancellor or any principal officer, having had the prior knowledge of the contents of their submissions?
“The answer is obvious to anyone who has any sense of morality and respect for the due process. Accordingly, we hereby request that the Pro-Chancellor, General Jekada, to call all those involved to order and sanction them appropriately. For betraying the people’s trust and undermining the VC and other principal officers’ selection process, the trio should be disqualified from further participating in the process.
“By this their act of desperation, they have forfeited the moral right to participate in the process. Indeed, they should be asked to resign their membership of the Council, because theirs amounts to a violent and inexcusable assault on the ATBU system itself.”