FUTO Drags ASUU To Court Over Isa Pantami’s Professorship

The saga involving the decision of the Federal University of Technology, (FUTO), Owerri in Imo State to confer a professorship on the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami has taken a new turn.

This is as the FUTO Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nnenna Oti has revealed that the institution has taken the matter to court.

The disclosure comes after the recent declaration by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Monday that the professorship of the Minister is illegal.

The decision was reached by the National Executive Council at a meeting held on Sunday night, while the President of ASUU, Emmanuel Osodeke, announced it at a press conference on Monday.

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.”

The academic union also threatened to sanction the leadership of FUTO over the process followed in promoting Pantami to the position of a professor.

But FUTO as confirmed by the institution’s Vice-Chancellor has taken the matter to court for the judiciary to intervene.

The VC made the disclosure when contacted for a reaction on the ASUU stand on the matter.

But a senior management worker quoted by The Nation said ASUU does not have the power to query the University over any decision to appoint or promote anyone to a particular position.

“Just like ASUU does not tell the university council and its Senate who to promote, it cannot tell them the criteria for promoting somebody to rank of professor. In law, you cannot withdraw what you don’t have. ASUU does not regulate appointments and promotions. Some of these things are derived from NUC guidelines, and every university sets up its standard,” the source said.