By Adamu IMAM Bauchi
SANITISING UNIVERSITY SYSTEM:
Former VC ATBU Should be Tested For Drugs, ASUU Chapter Declared
By Adamu IMAM Bauchi
The recent pronouncement by the former vice chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, Mohammed Abdul'aziz advocating for compulsory drug tests for lecturers, not only for the students as part of efforts to sanitize the university system in Nigeria.
The drug tests comment has continue to generate reactions from the academia, especially at the tertiary level
Dr.Ibrahim Ibrahim Inuwa is the current ASUU Chairman ATBU chapter in an interview with journalists recently, he expressed dismay over what they described as surprising speech by a university don at the time he is leaving the office, emphasized that he should be tested for drugs as well
Other staff union of universities ATBU chapter and sisters member unions across shared their opinions and stands on the matter, also kicked against the move, says is unfortunate
Inuwa says the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University welcomed the institution’s new Vice Chancellor Professor Kunya who topped the selection process for the position with the support of the majority
He further explained "we have all regulations governing the university, we are very autonomous there are criteria for admitting students, even part of the criteria the student will undergo medical test and they submitted their results if it's so important there is something missing in their medical test, he can retested them, he have all avenues to do that"
Alleging that "unfortunately, if we x-ray his performance one would be force to say he need to be tested for drugs, there are a lot of things he did, he violated the laws in the university, for instance there was examination conducted at the faculty of science specifically department of mathematical science
"When a single external examiner came to supervised 18 postgraduate students in a day 7 PhD students, 11 Msc students the union write we challenged that position and we compelled the PG school to cancel that examinations, they set up committee and found that our accusation was right and they cancelled the examinations"
"Unfortunately, the same vice chancellor saying we should be tested for drugs, went round asked the PG school to submit that results to him and give administrative approval, so who is to be tested for drug?"
"He knows there is no council and he employed staff illegally, he entered contract illegally when students are being extorted using the software if you pay your school fees 2% goes to his software company that is managing results, whereas we have a better software in the university for no reason I can't count the number of things that he has done that, he should subjected to drug test. he stressed
"I don't think someone would think there is lacunar in the system that shows dent on the autonomy of the University is very wrong, obviously I cannot support anything injurious to the autonomy and the free existence of the Universities
"We are supposed to be the ones guiding the society is an unguided statement from the former vice chancellor I don't want to believe there are information he heard that inform him to such utterances, that his former position ought to be use to setup committee to investigate the matter and to arrest it, not to just say it publicly if that is done we will be proud he has done to check it, he didn't do it he is as good as he just lamenting" he maintained
He noted that such pronouncement should have come earlier, and not when he is leaving the university
"Don't forget he is on the mantle of leadership for five years, he has power to supretendent over the employment of academic and non academic staff and he didn't fine it necessary to put it as a criteria, we are not expecting such utterances from him because of the nature and position of the University,
Is unfortunate for somebody accusing the university having some symptoms of drug abuse, to me is an indictment on what he supretendent over the five years if he has that, I don't want to believe he might have his reasons as chief executive officer of the University a substantive vice chancellor he should have set up committee for such investigation that would give him the room to make that pronouncement'
Moreso, the chairman continue "he didn't hold that office on personal capacity he hold that office officially as a vice chancellor of a federal university a public university so he should be careful with his utterances, if there are signes staff a re abusing drugs university the honors is on him to set up committee such staff sould be investigated and check it, he didn't do that",
"That statement it is dangerous if we are a serious society, it calls for a lot of concerns the university that is supposed to champion guiding the society somebody is accusing that university, of having some symptoms to be tested for drugs, where are they can he give examples,?
"I was expecting him to highlight one or two activities that he have seen in the university that warranted such utterances that members should be tested for drugs, is a blankets accusation just like that"
Concluded that, it recalled that few months ago, there was a report of an incident involving a final year student who lost his life, after being stabbed, leading to a halt in academic activities and the subsequent closer of the institution for several weeks,
He would have done something better up instead of accusing lecturers for no reasons.
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Education