By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

A group called Nasarawa Development Foundation has decried the concerns of some staff of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa over the shortlist of Dr Hauwa Mohammed for the substantive Rector position of the institution.

This is contained in a rejoinder signed by Mr. Idris Musa Audi, representative of the group and made available to newsmen in Keffi, Nasarawa State, on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.

The title of the rejoinder is “A response to the stakeholders concerns” with a sub title “He who lives in a glass house should not throw stones or hide or throw stones at others”.

According to Audi, the recent statement by one Dr. Abdullahi Baba Makama and Dr. Halidu of the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa published recently on Education Monitor News expressing concerns about the shortlisting of Dr. Hauwa T. Muhammad for the substantive Rector position is both misguided and hypocritical.

He added that their claims about Dr. Muhammad’s discipline being irrelevant to the Polytechnic Sector are unfounded as English language is a fundamental subject that is taught in all polytechnics, and according to him, it is essential for effective communication and academic success.

“They have forgotten that when Dr. Bulama became Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, there was no Science Laboratory Technology Department.

“When Salami became Rector, there was no Banking and Finance Department. When Bugagi became Rector, there was no Chemical Engineering Technology Department.

“The immediate passed Rector of the Federal Polytechnic Idah and Yaba Tech all read English. So the role of a Rector involves overseeing the entire institution, not just a specific department,” he said.

He then concluded that the stakeholders’ concerns about Dr. Muhammad’s candidacy are baseless and hypocritical and their own transgressions and double standards undermine their credibility.

“It is imperative that the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, and the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje, to support the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa disregard these unfounded allegations and focus on selecting a qualified and capable Rector who can lead the institution to greater heights.