ASUU probes Pantami’s professorial appointment, issues ultimatum to FG

Despite the clean bill of health given to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, by the Federal University of Technology Owerri, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has set up an independent panel to probe his appointment as a Professor of Cyber Security.

ASUU, on Monday, described the Minister’s professorial appointment as questionable.

Also, the umbrella body of varsity lecturers issued a three-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet all its demands in the Memorandum of Action (MoA).

The MoA was signed by government and ASUU on December 23, 2020.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, listed several criteria for the position of professorship.

These criteria, he said, Pantami lack.

He said: “We know something is wrong in the appointment of Isa Pantami as a Professor; it doesn’t look right.

“Having rejected the ASUU-FUTO Committee’s report, NEC set up an independent committee to investigate all issues surrounding the controversial appointment of Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) as a Professor of Cyber Security in the university.

“Thereafter, the position of ASUU-NEC shall be made known to the public. In addition, another committee shall visit the ASUU-FUTO branch with a view to determining the role of members in the controversial appointment and report back to NEC for further action.”

Osodeke stated that ASUU is not happy with the failure of government to implement the MoA on its demands.

“We are very dissatisfied with governments attitude to our issues. We have given the government three weeks to meet our demands during the NEC meeting we had on Saturday and Sunday,” he said.