By Abba Gwale
Kano state government has demanded for an unequivocal apology from the management of East Carolina University over the controversial appointment offered to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as a Senior Mentoring Scholar and Visiting Full Professor of e-governance and International Affairs, which was conveyed in a letter signed by one Prof Mbarika, dated November 30, 2020.
A statement by the Secretary to the Kano State Government (SSG), Alhaji Usman Alhaji, also called for a disciplinary action against the faculty member that stirred up the controversy which the government claimed was “attempted to tarnish the image of the governor and embarass the good people of Kano.”
He said that while the governor or any of 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 governor and the good people of Kano state,“ the statement added.
Alhaji Usman Alhaji pointed out that Governor Ganduje had 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 southwestern Nigeria.
The SSG said that given this background as an academician of refute (sic), 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.
It could be recalled that Sahelian Times had exclusively reported how Prof Mbarika scammed the Governor Ganduje with fake professorial appointment. The East Carolina University, upon inquiry made by various organisations, including Sahelian Times, disowned the report of the appointment citing lack of authority by Prof Mbarika to do so.
