Your KWASU VC appointment insensitive, Kwara North elders tell Kwara Gov, Abdulrazaq

By Mumini AbdulKareem

Elders across the five Local Governments areas that made up Kwara North senatorial district on Monday rejected the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University, Prof Mohammed Akanbi describing it as insentive.

The elders who comprises members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in s statement on the issue last night sent to National Pilot alleged that the governor’s action was against the principle of fairness and equity.

The statement read in full:

The entire people of the Kwara North Senatorial Zone within Nigeria and the diaspora have been much saddened by the appointment of Prof. Muhammad Mustapha Akanbi as the New Vice Chancellor of the Kwara State University (KWASU). The appointment is quite nauseating and very insensitive because it goes extremely against the principles of equity, justice and fairness in a symbiotic and heterogeneous political entity like our beloved Kwara State.

It is very timely for us to recall here that the Kwara State University was established with the resources of all sections of Kwara State is really never in doubt. Indeed, it is an undeniable fact that not until recently, our five Local Government Areas that constitute the Kwara North Senatorial Zone contributed funds through monthly deductions from our monthly statutory allocations and internally generated revenue, not only for the establishment but also for the sustenance of the Kwara State University.

It is therefore intriguing and also baffling to the entirety of all of us in Kwara State in general and the Kwara North Senatorial Zone in particular, that against all norms and conventions in Nigeria’s socio-political engineering process of balancing the allocation of the resources and privileges derivable from our common patrimony, including sharing of political appointments and positions of influence in government amongst the three senatorial zones of each State, as with the Federal sharing amongst the six Geo-Political Zones of the country, the situation in Kwara is different. Apart from the initial consideration in the three major positions where the Governor came from [Kwara Central], the Deputy Governor [Kwara South] and the Rt Honourable Speaker [Kwara North], the idea of sustaining that equilibrium in the interest of equity, justice and fairness has been jettisoned, with clear disregard for the interest of Kwara North Senatorial Zone, especially in the light of the subsequent appointments made since the advent of the present administration in the State.

Your Excellency would permit the people of the Kwara North Senatorial Zone to remind your exalted self that your pledges and assurances during the electioneering campaigns to immediately put an end to and correct the marginalisation of the Kwara North Senatorial Zone in the areas of infrastructural development, State and Federal appointments and economic emancipation was what gorged our people to deliver over eighty percent (80%) of their votes to you at the gubernatorial elections. This percentage placed Kwara North as the highest above the remaining two Senatorial Zones

After the last VC of KWASU, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na Allah *who is from Kwara Central* served for ten years as the Vice Chancellor of KWASU, one would have curiously and rightly thought that the position of VC will shift to another Senatorial Zone, more so when a very competent Professor from a different Senatorial Zone was already acting very creditably as the VC since Prof. Na Allah’s term as VC was completed. Sadly and shockingly, another person of the same indigenality as Prof Abdurasheed Na Allah was announced for the VC position again. It cannot be argued or claimed that only professors from the Kwara Central Senatorial Zone are the only persons qualified for the position of the VC of KWASU. This claim could not stand as available facts disclosed that while the Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Mahmud Sakah came first in the interview conducted, Prof Muhammad Mustapha Akanbi who was just appointed came third!

Although, it is understandable that Your Excellency as the Visitor to KWASU reserves the right to choose a qualified person for the position of VC of KWASU, however, the pledges and assurances Your Excellency gave to the people of Kwara North Senatorial Zone that you will arrest the marginalisation on all fronts that the senatorial zone has been suffering for decades coupled with the zoning principle would have been considered in your decision in the appointment of the VC for KWASU. The dangerous trend that is being entrenched by such a sensitive decision in a constitutional democracy is that of segregation and perpetuation of discrimination against a particular section or people in the scheme of things in Kwara State which are anathema to cohesiveness and even development across board.

The stand of the people of the Kwara North Senatorial Zone therefore is that in the interest of *Equity, Fairness, Justice, Merit and, above all, fear of God,* the Kwara State Government should correct itself by reversing the appointment of Prof Muhammad Mustapha Akanbi and confirm Prof Mahmud Sakah, who was adjudged to be the best among those interviewed for the position, as the substantive Vice Chancellor of KWASU.

Your Excellency Sir, it has been our belief that you are a God-fearing leader. Needless to say therefore that your actions must not be allowed to portray you as being bias for or against a particular section of Kwara State.

We, on behalf of the entire people of the five Local Government Areas of the Kwara North Senatorial Zone eagerly await your acceding to our request in this regard at your earliest convenience, please.

Thank you very much.

We remain,

Yours Faithfully,
Undersigned by

*Edu LGA*

PDP
1)Sen Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi
2) Alh Shehu Abdulrahman
3) Hon Timothy Saba
4) Alh Alfa Shonga
5) Alh S Y Haliru

APC
1) Alh M T Mamman
2)Alh S Y Abdullahi
3) Dr Mohammed N Haruna
4) Alh Tajudeen Abdulkadir
5) Engr Umaru Sha’aba
6) Alh Mohamed Kudu

*Patigi LGA*

PDP
1) Alh Kollo Rifun
2) Alh Sule Ahman Patigi
3) Alh Dabarako Mohammad
4) Alh Zubairu Rogun
5) Com Abdullahi Lade

APC
1) Alh Attahiru Manko
2) Rt Hon Benjamin Yisa
3) Sen Ahmed Zuruk
4) Alh Shaaba Emagi Patigi
5) Alh Aliu Lade
6) Hon Ndagiri Patigi

*Moro LGA*

PDP
1. Shuaib Baba Jimoh.
2. Salihu Mohammed.
3. Issa Aremu
4. Buhari Ibrahim
5. Issa Mohammed Jamiu.

APC

1) Alh S A Jimoh
2) Chief Sunday Ogunniyi
3) Chief Amos Akintunde
4) Chief Gabriel Akinloye

*Kaiama LGA*

PDP
1)Hon Adamu Bawa
2) Hon Yusuf Bukar
3) Hon Sadiq Ahmed
4) Hon Sulaiman Baziki
5) Alh Abubakar Zhigi

APC
1) Sen Haliru Kaiama
2) Hon Abubakar Suka Baba
3) Hon Alhassan Bagidi
4) Hon Abubakar Mora
5) Hon Mohammed Haliru Madugu Kaiama

*Baruten LGA*

PDP
1) Hon Saidu Issa Abdullahi
2) Alh Hashim Mora
3) Hon Usman Adamu Fawa
4) Alh Umaru Gunu
5) Alh Adamu katas
6) Hon Ishiak Baba Mohammed

APC
1) Rt Hon Isa Bio Ibrahim
2)Alh Ibrahim Ibn Woru
3) Alh Jubril Abubakar Tafida
4)Alh Alhassan Shero Aliyu
5)Alh Suleiman Ahmed Shiya

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