The Governing council of the Kwara state owned university, Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete is set for a showdown with the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, over appointment of an acting vice chancellor of the university.
The state governor had in a statement on Tuesday approved appointment of Professor Kenneth Adeyemi, as the acting Vice Chancellor of the university.
However, the chairman, governing council of the university, Professor Saka Nuru, has dissociated the council from the appointment and the directive that the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor AbdulRasheed NaAllah, should proceed on terminal leave “while he is yet to complete his tenure which expires on July 27, 2019.
“This directive is not in tune with the University’s law and is going to lead to distraction from the Rain Semester examination and the process appointment of principal officers that are currently in progress.
“This action of the state Government is illegal and the Governing Council of KWASU has no hand in the directive,” he said.
Governor Ahmed had earlier in the day approved the appointment of Professor Adeyemi as the acting Vice Chancellor of the KWASU.
The state Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Abdullahi Alikinla, who announced Professor Adeyemi’s appointment in a statement, also directed the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah to hand over to the acting Vice Chancellor and proceed on terminal leave as his tenure expires in July 2019.
The commissioner said the acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adeyemi, is to take charge of responsibilities relating to the smooth running of the institution in accordance with the law establishing it.
Barrister Alikinla said Governor Ahmed took the decisions in the exercise of the powers conferred on him by the Kwara State University Law 2009 as amended which empowers the Visitor to the University to appoint and remove the Vice Chancellor for good cause and following due consultations.