Ganduje’s professorial appointment crisis: Kano Govt. reacts

Kano state government has demanded an unequivocal apology from the management of East Carolina University, United States of America 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 disciplinary action against the faculty member that stirred up the controversy which attempted to embarrass the governor and the good people of Kano state.

Solacebase reports that last Tuesday, Chief Press Secretary to Kano State Governor, Abba Anwar in a statement announced that the university  has offered the governor, the position of Senior Mentoring Scholar and Visiting Full Professor of e-governance and International Affairs in the university

However, in a twist of faith, the university in a letter dated December, 4^th addressed to the governor, titled Re: Unavailability of Faculty appointment denied issuing such appointment to governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

The letter was signed by B. Grant Hayes, Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor to Academic Affairs.

Read Also: American University appoints Ganduje as Visiting Professor

In the statement, Alhaji Usman Alhaji said that while the governor or any official of his government has no any 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.’’

According to the statement, the SSG said that given this background as an academician of repute, the Governor would be the last person on earth to have neither solicit nor accept fraudulently 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. ‘’