Mr. President Sir,
Let me use this opportunity to join other well-wishers and friends of Nigeria, in congratulating you upon your victory at the recently conducted presidential elections, which was adjudged both at home and abroad as free, fair and credible in the history of our nation. Indeed, it is a victory worthy of celebrating, as for the first time an opposition party has unseated an incumbent president in Nigeria. Your body language since assuming office has left no right thinking person in doubt that our dear country is now on the path to rediscovery and real transformation following years of mismanagement and maladministration.
Mr. President, let me remind you that many leaders have failed because their closest associates and elites were unpatriotic and self-centered that they failed to reveal to them truth. I assure you Mr. President, that I desire nothing in return by this petition but the progress and well-being of our nation. I strongly believe that, the only way to tackle unethical conduct in the public service is to tackle indiscipline and expose it at all level of public service. Sir, it is an open secret that the various measures for ethical conducts instituted in the constitution have been rendered in-operative by the same people who are supposed to be their custodians. On that note; I write to convey the deep worries and frustrations of working conditions at the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University (IAR/ABU) Zaria to your office, for urgent attention and remedies, because; I am sure you will surely address these problems with deserved urgency and fairness.
Mr President, my petition on the above subject matter are in the following areas;
Nepotism in Appointment;
After the tragic death of the former Director of IAR/ABU, Professor Ahmad Mustapha Falaki on the 14TH February 2015, allegedly in the hands of policemen in Kibiya LGA of Kano State, which was widely reported in the country, the then Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU); Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, appointed Professor Mohammad Faguji Ishiyaku as the substantive Director of the Institute (IAR/ABU). He (Ishiyaku) barely serve a month in office as the Director of the Institute, when Professor Ibrahim Garba, the former VC of Kano State University of Science and Technology Wudil – Kano, was appointed as the new VC of ABU through the influence of the then Minister of Education; Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau on the governing council of the university. The appointment of the Professor of Garba as the VC of ABU Zaria is an issue that needs due diligent investigation and redress on its own merit, because the university community was forced to accept a VC that was against the desire of the majority of those who participated in the election of Ahmadu Bello University’s VC. A week after his assumption into office; he sent a letter authorizing an immediate suspension of Professor Mohammad Faguji Ishiyaku as the director of IAR/ABU, and left the institute for barely two months without a substantive director. Then he appointed Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar of the department of Agronomy on the 17th August, 2015 as the new director, who was till then the deputy director of the Institute, the position he held during the last days of Professor Ahmad Falaki as the director of IAR/ABU.
Mr. President, Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar is also a member of the governing council of Ahmadu Bello University, the university’s organ charged with the responsibility of managing the business and appointments in the university via the Vice Chancellor. The Institute for Agricultural research (IAR), Samaru was established in 1924 as the research division of the Department of Agriculture for the then Northern provinces of Nigeria. IAR was formally transferred by law to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) on October 14, 1962. With the Federalization of the University in 1975, the IAR was established in accordance with statute 14 of the University. Since its establishment, IAR has been the bed-rock of crop research and improvement in the savanna region of Nigeria, it is being directly funded under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. However, the appointment of director of IAR/ABU and staff members of the institute is being managed by the VC on behalf of the university council.
The sudden and quick removal of Professor Mohammad Faguji Ishiyaku and subsequent appointment of Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar as the new director of IAR/ABU was allegedly based on the influence of Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar as a member of ABU governing council. This development did not go down well with many at the institute, because Professor Mohammad Ishiyaku was such a competent and experienced academician, who would really move the institute to a greater height, and within the few days of his stay in office as the director, things had begun unfolding and taking the right shape.
There were so many unanswered questions, still demanding answers, such as; why would somebody appointed in less than 5 weeks into an office that should have lasted for at least 2 years, be suddenly removed by VC who just assumed his new office in less than 5 days ? and why would the VC appoints a member of University’s governing council to replace a duly appointed officer without any crime? There were some hearsays that, Professor Mohammad Ishiyaku was removed due to alleged petitions received by the new VC by some people from the university community. As a prelude to this saga Sir, it will be good I inform you of the personality of Mohammad Ishiyaku. Mohammad Ishiyaku was the former Dean of Students of ABU Zaria (May, 2010 to May, 2012), during the first two years of Professor Mustapha Abdullah’s tenure as the VC of ABU and his appointment as the Dean of Students of ABU was renewed for a second time, but in the course of his second term (2013), a Special Bulletin of the University came out, informing the University community that he (Ishiyaku) resigned from his post as the Dean of Students due to health reasons, and the VC has appointed Professor MS Shehu as the new Dean of Students for the university.
However, before his resignation, there were undocumented reports that two ladies fought at the Dean of Students’ office (Dr Jamila Abdullahi and Hajiya Fulani, the Assistant Dean and Finance Officer respectively at the Student Affairs Division of ABU). An investigation committee was set up by the university to look into the issue, and at the end of the committee’s assignment, the appointment of Dr Jamila Abdullahi was terminated by the university. However, Mohammad Ishiyaku and Hajiya Fulani were neither removed nor indicted in the said crisis. It was rumored that the new VC in the first week of his assumption used those petitions that linked Ishiyaku to the aforementioned crisis to remove him from office.
Mr. President, there is the need to look into this issue that led to the humiliating removal of Mohammad Ishiyaku and subsequent appointment of Ibrahim Umar Abubakar, a member of the governing council of ABU as the new director of IAR/ABU in the interest of justice and fairness. Justice here would mean reinstatement of Mohammad Faguji Ishiyaku as the substantive Director of IAR/ABU Zaria.
Incompetency of the New Director;
All said and done, Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar is grossly incompetent and inexperienced. Mr. President, it is an open secret at the institute today that, the new Director is incompetent. Mr. President, I beg of you to investigate these issues and never allow it to be swept under the carpet. IAR/ABU is the only Agricultural based research institute in Nigeria with the national mandate of conducting research on the genetic improvement of Maize, Sorghum, Cowpea, Groundnut, Castor, Sunflower, Jatropha, Artemisia), and farming systems/irrigation research for the whole of northwestern Nigeria. It will amount to gross disservice to this nation, if nepotism of few incompetent persons will be allowed to cause the destruction and non-functionality of this great institution. Mr. President, it is wisely said; “regardless of how close a person is to you, if you see them committing wrong, do not shy away in addressing them and giving them advice”. Sir, you belong to everybody and belong to nobody, we need urgent manifestation of this mantra at IAR/ABU, in order to prevent it from descending into a sinking ship status.
Fighting his Misconceived enemies and Stalling of Institutional Activities;
On his assumption of duty as the new director of the institute, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar embarked on an unholy campaign of frustrating his misconceived enemies in the institute. This war is being waged by unnecessary delays and disapproval of requests emanating from these people (his misconceived). However, the war has transcended his so-called enemies, he’s now frustrating development and progress of the institute. Mr. President Sir, within the few weeks he has spent in the directorate of the institute, a strong provable evidence can be established that the number of requests/letters he has disapproved far exceeds the combined disapprovals issued by three of his immediate predecessors; namely late Professor Balarabe Tanimu, late Professor Ahmad Falaki, and deposed Professor Mohammed Ishiyaku. Sir, this can be investigated easily, that he has passion for writing the word “disapproved” on requests/letters sent to his office. This I believe, he is doing to intimidate scientists and command false respect from the community. Sir, in an institution where teaching, research and community services are the focal points of staff members, this unprofessional attitude of the director is abhorrent and shameful. There are instances, where he has kept requests/letters for 2, 3, 4, and over 5 weeks, what would ordinarily be treated in a day or less! This undue delays of mails can be confirmed from the dates contained in the dairy of incoming and outgoing mails with his secretary. This is the current predicament of staff members at the IAR/ABU and everybody is scared of blowing the trumpet for fear of persecution. However, we need to be patriotic and expose this indecency that is capable of destroying the institute.
Multiple Assignments;
Another big problem at hand is that; Ibrahim Abubakar is a traveler, expeditioner and voyager. The director does not stay in office for good two weeks without travelling for 2 -3 days out of station and that has been the norm since his assumption of duty. Because of his frequent trips and non-delegation of full rights and powers of his office to his designates during his travels, things have stalled; approvals, payments of casual workers and claims by scientists have continued to pile up in his office, thereby frustrating helpless scientists and staff members of the institute. There is a pre-existing bureaucratic inefficiency at the institute, when it comes to processing of papers or payments, because what takes a day or two at our sister institutions, takes longer time to get processed at IAR/ABU. Mr. President, I want you to use your good office to bring these anomalies to check.
Professor Ibrahim Abubakar has some many positions he is occupying at the same time, a practice that is inconsistent with the provisions of the Nigerian Civil service rules. Sir, the new director of IAR/ABU occupies the following time-demanding positions;
1. Director, IAR/ABU Zaria,
2. National Coordinator of Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa ( SARD-SC) Wheat project in Nigeria, the AfDB-funded project,
3. Member of Governing Council Ahmadu Bello University Zaria,
4. Deputy Dean, Faculty of Agriculture Ahmadu Bello University Zaria,
5. Visiting lecturer to Faculty of Agriculture, Uthmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Schedules, Fifth Schedule; Code of Conduct for Public Officers, Part I General Code of Conduct for Public Officers is very clear on this issue. It states; “1. A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities. 2. Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, a public officer shall not (a) receive or be paid the emoluments of any public office at the same time as he receives or is paid the emoluments of any other public office…”
In conclusion, Mr. President we would be most grateful to see these issues addressed and have justice prevailed in the university and at IAR/ABU on the following;
1. Review of the process leading to the appointment of Professor Ibrahim Garba as the Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria,
2. Humiliating removal/suspension of Professor Mohammad Faguji Ishiyaku as the Director of IAR/ABU Zaria,
3. Appointment of Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar as the Director of IAR/ABU Zaria,
4. Incompetency, delaying of papers, issuing of disapproval on letters by Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar as the Director, IAR/ABU Zaria,
5. Multiple time-demanding portfolios occupied by Professor Ibrahim Umar Abubakar.
Mr. President, it is our believe now as Nigerians that change has come and era of impunity has ended, so let there be justice, fairness, discipline and respect for rule of law across all board.
Thank you.
God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Abdullah Mamman
Lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria
PS: I can be reached via [email protected]
There is need to ensure justice and fairness prevails