Ahmad Tijjani Abdul,
Kano
Kano state government on Sunday demanded an apology from the management of East Carolina University over a controversial appointment offered Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as visiting Professor.
A statement by the Secretary to the Kano State Government (SSG), Alhaji Usman Alhaji that was made available to Newsmen further called for a disciplinary action against Dr. Victor Mbarika the faculty member that stirred up the controversy.
Abba Anwar had on December 1, issued a statement announcing the the East Carolina University, United States of America, International Center for Information Technology and Development, (ECU-ICITD), College of Business, had appointed the governor to the position of Senior Mentoring Scholar and Visiting Full Professor of E-Governance and International Affairs.
In a letter transmitted to the governor titled “Appointment to the position of Senior Mentoring Scholar and Visiting Full Professor of E-Governance and International Affairs at East Carolina University International Center for Information Technology and Development, Greenville, North Carolina, USA, signed by Prof. Victor W. and dated 30th November, 2020, he was congratulated by the University’s Academic Board.
The East Carolina University (ECU) has denied appointing the Governor its visiting professor saying, “the letter you received from Dr. Victor Mbarika, on November 30, 2020 does not convey an authorized offer of appointment or establish any position of scholar or professor at East Carolina University (“ECU”).”
The signed statement by Alhaji Usman Alhaji reads: “Kano state government has demanded for an unequivocal apology from the management of East Carolina University over a controversial appointment offered Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje into the position of Senior Mentoring Scholar and Visiting Full Professor of e-governance and International Affairs in the university on November 30, 2020.
A statement by the Secretary to the Kano State Government (SSG), Alhaji Usman Alhaji also called for a disciplinary action against the faculty member that stirred up the controversy which attempted to embarrass the governor and the good people of Kano state.
He said that while the governor or any of the officials of his government has no reason to doubt the veracity of the letter sent by one of its faculty members, which was communicated using the university’s instrument of office, it equally did not at any time solicit for such appointment.
‘’We are deeply saddened by the uproar stirred up by this controversial appointment that attempted to embarrass the person of the governor and the good people of Kano state,“ the statement added.
Alhaji Usman pointed out that Governor Ganduje obtained a National Certificate in Education (NCE) 1972, a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Education from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, 1975; two Master’s Degrees in Applied Educational Psychology from Bayero University, Kano (BUK) 1979; and Public Administration also from ABU 1985, as well as a Ph.D. which he obtained nearly three decades ago from the University of Ibadan in South West Nigeria.
The SSG said that given this background as an academician of repute, the Governor would be the last person on earth to solicit or accept a fraudulent appointment into academic position in any university or institution of higher learning within and outside Nigeria.
While wishing the university the best of luck, the statement expressed deep shock over the content of the letter from the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the University, admitting an error in conveying the message notifying the appointment.