Disqualify Baba Haruna as Bida Polytechnic Rector– GLEF petitions Minister of Education

The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has been petitioned by the Great Light Education Foundation to disqualify Dr. Baba Aliyu Haruna for the position of the Rector for Bida Polytechnic, Niger State.

The group alleged Dr. Haruna’s underground manipulations for the appointment as rector.

GLEF noted that the outgoing rector of the institution and Haruna are from the same place, adding that Haruna’s brother who was part of the interview committee had influence the committee’s decision in his favour.

The petition reads:

PETITION FOR THE DISQUALIFICATION OF ENGR. DR. BABA ALIYU HARUNA FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW RECTOR FOR THE FEDERAL
POLYTECHNIC, BIDA, NIGER STATE.

A PETITION BY THE GREAT LIGHT EDUCATION FOUNDATION (GLEF)

ADDRESSED TO:
MALLAM ADAMU ADAMU
HON. MINISTER OF EDUCATION, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
DATED: 03 MAY, 2023

PREAMBLE:

We are a globally recognized education sector stakeholder, working to ensure best practices in the management, delivery and financing of education in public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. In line with our mission, we monitor the governance and leadership recruitment processes in public institutions, because we believe that when the processes that produce the headship of an institution is faulty, such cannot deliver an effective administration that will ensure optimum service delivery to students and generally enhance the quality and performance of our public sector education.

THE ISSUES:

We, the undersigned, would like to bring your attention to the ongoing issues and
emerging problems, including the underground manipulations, involved in the process of the appointment of a new substantive Rector for the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State. The issues and concerns are as follows:

1. The Federal Polytechnic, Bida, is in the process of recruiting a new Rector as the tenure of the incumbent Rector, Dr. Abubakar Abdul Dzukogi draws to a close. And in line with Section 8 sub section 3 of the Federal Polytechnic (Amendment) Act 2019, a committee was constituted to consider, vet and recommend, through the Council of the Polytechnic, three suitably qualified candidates to the President for his consideration.

2. Following from the above, the committee conducted two interview sessions for all shortlisted candidates who applied for the position between Thursday, 23rd March, 2023 and Friday, 24th March, 2023. One of the interviewed candidates was one Engr. Dr. Baba Aliyu Haruna, who is from the same place as the outgoing Rector.

3. While the outgoing Rector is ethically not qualified to chair the committee for the selection of his successor in the first place, the presence of Mallam Jibril Aliyu Haruna of the social science department of the institution, who happens to be the senior brother to Engr. Baba Aliyu Haruna on the interview panel makes mockery of the neutrality expected of the committee.
The fact that Engr. Baba Aliyu Haruna, who happens to be a younger brother
of a member of the interview panel, was later declared as having the highest
score and placed first among the other candidates speaks volume of the
shadiness and the lack of credibility that characterized the entire process.

4. We note that Mr. Kawu Hassan Abubakar of the department of accountancy
and member of the interview panel drew the attention of the outgoing Rector
and chairman of the panel, Dr. Abubakar Abdul Dzukogi to the impropriety
of having Mallam Jibril Aliyu Haruna of the social science department of the
same institution sit as a member of the interview panel that would screen his
biological brother; but the Rector waved aside this genuine concern without
offering any acceptable rationale or justification; although our findings
suggest that the chairman of the interview panel and the outgoing Rector,
Dr. Abubakar Abdul Dzukogi is being blackmailed by Engr. Dr. Baba Aliyu
Haruna to do his bidding by using some financial documents at his disposal.
The documents in question were the same ones he used when he faced an
investigation committee sometime in 2016 after his removal as the Director
for Continuing education for financial misconduct, with a claim that
outgoing Rector was involved in whatever financial impropriety he
committed.

5. Still holding the outgoing Rector by the jugular using blackmail, Engr. Dr.
Haruna Baba Aliyu has continued to threaten that he has evidence of the
involvement of the outgoing rector in the financial mismanagement he
committed while he held sway as the Director of continuing education.
Following his removal as Director in 2016, on the recommendation of the
investigation committee, Engr. Dr. Haruna Baba Aliyu insisted to the Rector
that he must be reinstated, otherwise he would blow the whistle on the
financial mess he claimed the Rector was involved in with him. Pleading
with him to show understanding in order to avoid the outcry his
reinstatement will cause within the institution; the Rector was able to prevail on Engr. Dr. Haruna Baba Aliyu to accept another appointment, hence he
was on the 29th December, 2016 reapportionment as a Director, this time
placed in charge of the directorate of Linkages and collaboration.

6. Not done, Engr. Dr. Haruna Baba Aliyu is now employing the same blackmail strategy that has worked so well for him in the past to further armtwist the outgoing Rector to support his ambition to be the next Rector of the polytechnic, and as result forcing him to circumvent process,
including turning a blind eye to the inappropriate composition of the
interview panel and subsequently manipulating the scores of the interview to favour the said Engr. Dr. Haruna Baba Aliyu.

CONCERNS:

1. As an important stakeholder in the education sector, we believe that
transparency and integrity are integral character required of a leader of any
self-respecting institution of learning. But considering his antecedents and
history, Engr. Dr. Baba Aliyu Haruna does not possess the required decency
and discipline to occupy a sensitive position as the Rector of a polytechnic.
2. The same Engr. Dr, Baba Aliyu Haruna was on record to have tainted the
reputation of the polytechnic while he served as the Director of the
directorate of continuing education of Bida Polytechnic. The appointment,
made on 23rd June, 2015 was supposed to last for two years (please see
attachment), but due to the mismanagement of funds and several other acts of financial mismanagement he committed at the time, he was removed
before the expiration of his tenure as a result of the indictment by the
committee set up to investigate him. However, because he smartly indicted
the Rector during his appearance before the investigation committee, the
report was buried and, instead of him facing any disciplinary action; Engr.
Dr. Baba Aliyu Haruna was instead reappointed as a Director in charge of
linkages and collaboration effective January 2017, the very year his first
appointment was originally scheduled to end. This claim can be
independently verified.

3. Aside his record of financial indiscipline, it is also possible that Engr. Dr.
Baba Aliyu Harsuna lied and provided false and misleading information
regarding his actual age, a situation that makes his candidacy for the
Rectorship position highly questionable. It beggars belief that someone who
has been a Chief Lecturer for over ten years would claim to be born in 1967!

4. Also, with the presence of his elder brother on the interview panel, an undue
advantage was conferred on Engr. Dr. Baba Aliyu Haruna to the detriment
of other contenders for the same position. A lack of level playing field is therefore a violation of the rights of the other candidates to a free, fair and equitable process in the appointment of a new Rector for Bida Polytechnic.
It is our conclusion that an unfair process, which characterized the obviously predetermined outcome of the interview panel, cannot deliver an acceptable
outcome.

PRAYERS:

1. Consequent on the above issues and concerns raised, which have already
began to generate anxiety within the institution, we plead with the
Honourable Minister to immediately constitute a panel of enquiry to
determine the faulty nature or otherwise of the interview upon which the
recommendation of the candidates for the Rectorship of Bida Polytechnic
was based.

2. We request that having confirmed the presence of a senior brother to Engr.
Dr. Baba Aliyu Haruna on the interview panel; the younger brother who is
the obvious beneficiary of the favoritism displayed by the panel be
disqualified and barred from being considered for the Rectorship. The two
other persons, especially one with the second highest score in the interview
conducted, should instead be considered and appointed.

3. We plead that you use your good office to ensure that the process of
appointing the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Bida Polytechnic is
devoid of bias and irregularities. As an institution founded on the principles
of equity and excellence; the appointment of the Rector must be based solely on merit, character and competence.

CONCLUSION:

To proceed with the appointment of Engr. Dr. Aliyu Baba Haruna, despite
the glaring undue advantage conferred on him by the interview panel and his
personal baggage as someone lacking in financial integrity and morals;
would be to create avoidable crisis in the Federal Polytechnic, Bida. This
would not only be a hindrance to your ongoing efforts to reposition
education at the tertiary level, it would also dampen the morale of staff
members who already are very familiar with the issues surrounding the
ongoing process to appoint a new Rector for the Polytechnic. It is important
that you intervene in this matter in order to restore sanity within the
institution and reassure all stakeholders that no form of illegality, abuse of process and manipulation would be allowed under your watch.