Pantami keeps mum over ASUU’s stand against his professorship

The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Ali Pantami, Wednesday declined to comment on the stand of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) against his appointment as a professor of Cybersecurity by the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

ASUU had on Monday at a media briefing held at the University of Lagos at the end of its two-day meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC), described the professorship awarded to Pantami as illegal.

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The body also said the review of the processes that led to Pantami’s appointment was against the laid-down procedures within the university system.

Pantami, who resisted several overtures by the State House reporters to get his reaction to the development, kept on saying “no comment” while fielding questions after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The minister said he was not disposed to react since the matter was already in court.

In September 2021, Pantami was among seven academics who were elevated by the council of FUTO to the position of professors at the council’s 186th meeting.

The university, in a statement, listed others to include Lawrence Ettu as a professor of civil engineering; Godfrey Emeghara as a professor of maritime management technology; Okechukwu Onyelucheya as a professor of chemical engineering; Alex Opara and Chikwendu Okereke as professors of geology, among others.