Date: 2019-06-17

Kwara State Polytechnic Some Kwara State Polytechnic Staff, Ilorin, on Sunday, criticized the way the Rector and Registrar of the polytechnic were appointed, saying due process was not followed. Mr Jubril Abdullahi, a lecturer and leader of the staff, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, expressed dissatisfaction over the process deployed in appointing the rector and registrar.

Abdullahi said that the advertisements and shortlisting of candidates were intentionally done to edge out other qualified candidates in the school. "We discovered that the advertisements were done to disallow qualified members of staff of our institution from applying for the positions."

He said that other candidates, who applied for the jobs outside the school, were shortlisted more than a week before the interview, adding that those in the school who were later allowed, were given only 24 hours to apply.

Abdhullahi, who condemned the recruitment process, said it was biased and tilted toward favouring a particular candidate by the advertiser. "It was on this shady recruitment method that the former Gov. Abdufatah Ahmed declined his assent to the initial appointment which led to the dissolution of the governing council," he said.

He said that the former governor discovered that the process was against National Board of Technical Education (NBTC) guidelines and traditions of the school.

Abdullahi called on Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Kwara State House of Assembly to disregard the illegal appointment, which was done on May 22 at 10 p.m. He said the appointment was illegal because the Governing Council and State Executive of the school, which were supposed to transmit the reports to the incumbent governor, had already been dissolved.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the staff and students of the school had, on May 19, threatened to stage a peaceful protest over the appointment of a new rector without following due process.

Comrade Kayode Rafiu, speaking on behalf of the students, said the protest became necessary due to alleged "shabby process in the appointment of a new rector for the institution".

Reacting to the allegation, Mr Abdulkadir Yunus, the Public Relations Officer, Kwara State Polytechnic, said the interviews for appointing the rector and registrar were conducted during the last administration and the processes were transparent. He said that everything was concluded before the expiration of the last administration and there was no favourite candidate as alleged by the staff.

He said that the Registrar had officially resumed about two weeks ago, adding that when the interview was conducted, the Rector was not part of the panel. Yunus debunked the allegation of the Rector and the Registrar being favoured by the last administration. (NAN)