Professor of Agronomy, Mohammed Sani Yahaya, has threatened to sue Kaduna Polytechnic board, over what he terms as infractions of the polytecgnic act by the governing Council of the institution.
Professor Sani made this known in kaduna during a Press conference held at the NUJ Secretariat on Tuesday, said he was not invited for interview for the vacant position of Rectorship despite meeting the requirements.
The former, Head of Department of Crop Science, faculty of Agriculture, Kaduna state University, (KASU) and onetime Lecturer of Kaduna Polytechnic, said he has petitioned the Minister of Education over the injustice melted against him.
In his statement, ”The Kaduna Polytechnic Governing Council defied The Polytechnic Act by disqualifying a candidate who applied for the post of The Rector Kaduna Polytechnic on the grounds that he is a Professor teaching in a University, according to a petition written on January 20, 2022 by Prof. M. S. Yahaya asking the Polytechnic Governing Council to reconsider and rescind its decision in the interest of justice, fairness and the rule of law.”
He further expressed that ”A vacancy exists for the post of Rector Kaduna Polytechnic as advertised in The Daily Trust newspaper of Friday, September 3rd, 2021 and Prof. Mohammed Sani Yahaya put in his application on Tuesday, October 12th, 2021. However, he was not invited for the interview scheduled for the 11th and 12th January 2022 by the Kaduna Polytechnic Governing Council.
” The Registrar of the institution and Secretary to the Council informed Prof. Yahaya that the invitation for interview was not extended to him because the Governing Council has decided that a Professor is unqualified for the post of Rector and the disqualification was final and irreversible.”he added
“I have been illegally excluded from the interview for the Post of Rector Kaduna in a gross violation of my unalienable right and out of the four candidates that rose to the rank of Chief Lecturer in Kaduna Polytechnic; three including the Acting Rector of the institution were invited for the interview, while I was deliberately excluded. That was very unfair.” he said
“I believe I was also discriminated against on purpose in favour of a selected few candidates for the post of The Rector Kaduna Polytechnic while we are all equal in the sight of the law; this treatment is totally unfair.
“The petitioner presented facts and documents to substantiate the merit of his claims and objection to the decision of the Council. He further argued that the Governing Council should review and reverse its decision because it goes against the Polytechnic Act 2019.” he said.
The academician, further said that he has written personal appeal to the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, His Royal Highness, The Emir of Zazzau, The Honorable Minister for Education, The Honorable Minister of Justice, The Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND, The Chairman, House Committee on Tertiary Education and Services, The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education and other influential individuals urging them to impress on the Council for their intervention.
He called on those concern to do the right thing, noted that failure to do so, he may go further to seek for redress through the constitutional means to enforce justice and his rights.
