The host community of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria on Thursday said those kicking against the process that led to the emergence of Professor Kabiru Bala as the new Vice Chancellor of the institution are ignorant of the laws of the university.
In a statement jointly signed by the chairman, vice chairman and secretary of the Samaru community, Ahmadu Gwadabe, Shuaibu Halilu Ahmad and Hassan Usman, respectively, they explained that no tradition or law of the university was violated in the selection of the new VC.
They said the Governing Council under the leadership of Malam Adamu Fika (Wazirin Fika) did “an excellent” job by strictly adhering to the ABU’s Miscellaneous Act of 2003 as amended in 1993, 2007 and 2012.
They urged all the relevant authorities, especially the Federal Government, and the public to disregard what they called sponsored groups and individuals who are hell-bent in discrediting the “transparent process that led to the emergence of an erudite scholar, Malam Kabiru Bala, as the new VC.”
It added: “All the sponsored articles have failed to provide the extant laws that were violated. All the issues raised by the sponsored groups were clarified by a Federal Government letter of 17th January, 2020, to the former VC directing him not to undermine the process that did not in any way breach any established procedures.
“The extant laws of the university make selection of a VC the sole prerogative of the Governing Council; as such they have the power to draw a scoring template.
“Therefore, subjecting shortlisted candidates to security screening is a mere tradition that can be changed depending on the circumstance. The former VC, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, has also changed the tradition of two terms for DVC (Administration) when he denied second term for Prof. Kabiru Bala.”
