Bill and Melinda Gates College of Health Technology has in another letter sent to WikkiTimes insisted that both its Provost and the Chairman of the governing council have not committed any wrongdoing in lieu of publication documenting racketeering.
Read the full, unredacted letter below:
Regarding the issue of the Chairman Governing Council’s ward been dismissed and readmitted to the college, the management wishes to state that the said examination in which students had access to the questions before the conduct of the examination was an error on the part Yakubu Ahmad Aru who as the then director of the School of Medical Laboratory Sciences refused to utilise the departmental examination office or the college examination office and unilaterally decided to use means not sanctioned by the college which led to the leakage of the examination. It was then decided that the examination be canceled and be taken again by the students and those students who were identified were asked to withdraw as a punitive measure and if they so desire can reapply at the next session to which they did and those of them that passed the prescribed entry examination were admitted as fresh students including the ward of the Chairman Governing Council.
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It is rather unfortunate that the sacked director School of Pharmacy Technician programme in person of Ibrahim Muhammad could resort to the use of half-truths, misinformation and outright lies to address personal grievances. The college Provost had never coerced any officer in the college to do his bidding; instead he has always maintained an open door policy thereby giving every officer the chance to contribute his best to the development of the college.
There is no iota of truth regarding the information given by the sacked director to the press, in fact it is an outright lie and this was part of the reasons why the directors were dissolved because they have formed the habit of insubordination and leaking official government documents to the press for personal gains.
What actually happened with regard to the issue of admission in the Pharmacy programme was, the result was brought to the Governing Council for ratification and subsequent release to the public where it was discovered that some local governments were not represented and it was resolved that the college management should see to the inclusion of the non-represented local government and the release of the result was deferred until the local governments were included as the course is needed at the Primary Health Care centres in those local government areas. It was later learnt that the director had unilaterally released the result without approval by the authority concerned and he was subsequently queried as required in the Public Service Rules.
Even though the law of the college in section 16, 1a, has given the Academic Board the powers “to direct and manage all academic matters of the college including organisation of examination and all formalities related to registration and/or licensing with the Governing Board” however the same law has provided that the Governing Council should “subject to the provision of this law the Governing council shall be the Supreme Governing Authority of College with powers: (c.) to do anything not otherwise provided for under this Law in such manner as it deems fit and necessary to promote the best interest of the College of extant laws of the college”. So all decisions made by any organ of the college have to be ratified or otherwise by the Governing Council for the best interest of the College in particular and the state in general.
The said document was signed and presented to the Governing Council for ratification but was declined based on the fact that some local government were not represented, it was therefore resolved that the college management should have another look at the result with a view to including those local government not included and represented at the next council meeting only for the Governing Council and the College Management to learn that the result has been released by Ibrahim Muhammad the then director of the school who is well known to everyone at the college for insubordination which led to him being given a disciplinary query letter.
Saying that the Chairman not been a “health professional” therefore he could “not morally and academically give leadership desired by the college to prosper” is rather absurd based on the following reasons:
- The power to appoint the Chairman Governing Council rests with Governor of Bauchi State as provided in section 8a of the college enabling law and he has prerogative powers from the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under section 208, 1;
- Saying that the Chairman not being a “health professional” therefore he cannot “ morally and academically give leadership desired by the college to prosper” is rather absurd, because this a man who has reached the peak of public service as a seasoned educationist and is of good moral stand and conduct not only in his immediate locality but Bauchi State at large;
- Again in the composition of the Governing Council there is the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health, the representative of Ministry of Justice, the Chairman Medical and Health Workers Union among other notable professionals in their careers at the head of which is the Chairman providing the needed guide and leadership role;
- Even though the institution is a health training institution, the function of the chairman is not to administer drugs, teach, or perform surgery but to head the council and provide the needed policy direction not technical issues which are been handled by the various units of the college.
On the issue of the wards of Chairman Governing Council and Chairman Bauchi State House of Assembly House Committee on health was false because at no point did the Provost coerced any officer to do what is not legal.
Section 12, (1) stated that “subject to the provision of this law the Governing council shall be the Supreme Governing Authority of College with powers: (c.) to do anything not otherwise provided for under this Law in such manner as it deems fit and necessary to promote the best interest of the College of extant laws of the college” and their dissolution was made based on the recommendation of the implementation committee report in the best interest of the college.
Their dissolution was made based on the recommendation of the implementation committee report in the best interest of the college as they are more of a nuisance and a stumbling block to the progress of the college due to the overstay in their appointments (some have stayed for more than eight years), insubordination and conducts unbecoming of an officer, therefore they were dissolved and others were appointed in their stead as section 12, (1) stated that “subject to the provision of this law the Governing council shall be the Supreme Governing Authority of College with powers: (c.) to do anything not otherwise provided for under this Law in such manner as it deems fit and necessary to promote the best interest of the College of extant laws of the college”
Garba Hussaini Provost
