The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has thrown away earlier report granting approval to the promotion of Dr Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, as a professor.
ASUU faulted the process of the promotion and declared it as “illegal”.
This was declared at a press conference addressed by Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the President of ASUU, today, according to this report,
He said, “You cannot be a minister and a lecturer in a university. It is an encouragement of illegality.
“Pantami has to quit as a minister and be tried for doing double jobs within the same federal system. He is not qualified. Pantami should not be treated as a professor.”
In September 2021, Pantami, alongside seven academics were elevated by the council of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri to the position of professorship at the council’s 186th meeting.
The minister’s elevation has generated controversy, with many faulting FUTO on the promotion of the minister, who was not teaching in the university and whose highest academic attainment was reportedly a lecturer before he ventured into politics.
But, a five-man panel set up by the ASUU had confirmed that Pantami went through rigorous processes before his appointment as a Professor of Cybersecurity in the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).
The FUTO chapter of ASUU said Pantami’s application scaled six hurdles before it was ratified by the Governing Council.
The panel clarified that external assessors were engaged to examine the Minister’s publications to earn the academic position.
The internal inquiry confirmed that due process was followed by both the Governing Council and the management of FUTO to appoint Pantami a Professor of Cybersecurity in the School of Information and Communication Technology (SICT).
The conclusions of the FUTO chapter of ASUU were contained in the report of a five-man probe panel, which was set up by the union.
The investigation was commissioned by the Congress of FUTO chapter of ASUU at its session on September 22nd, 2021.
Members of the committee are:
- M. S. Nwakaudu (Chairman);
- A. Anyanwu;
- E. Orji;
- O.P. Onyewuchi; and
- I. N. Ezejiofor (Member/Secretary).
According to a document, Pantami’s appointment was not a shelf job.