Pantami: Panel asks FUTO to sue Kperogi, others calling out varsity over minister’s professorship

A probe panel set up by the Academic Staff Union of Universities of the  Federal University of Technology, Owerri chapter, has justified the appointment of Communication Minister Isa Pantami as professor of cybersecurity.

The panel also urges the school to sue those who rubbish the university over such appointment.

The five-man panel which inaugurated on September 22, 2021, in its report said it interacted with some stakeholders including the university registrar and the immediate past chairman, Committee of Deans, among others.

The panel which included Profs M. S. Nwakaudu, G.A. Anyanwu, C. E. Orji, O.P. Onyewuchi and T. I. N. Ezejiofor, said the advertisement for academic and academic support staff vacancies in FUTO for the positions of Professor, Reader, Senior Lecturer and Lecturer appeared in two newspapers on September 21, 2020 and September 22, 2020 respectively.

“Dr. Isa Ibrahim responded and applied for the post of Professor of Cybersecurity. He was given a temporary appointment as Professor of Cybersecurity in the Cybersecurity Department, for which he accepted in writing.

“The prima facie case for Dr. Isa Ibrahim was presented to the Academic Staff Appraisal and Promotion Committee- Professorial (ASAPC-Professorial) meeting held on 17th March, 2021. The Committee discussed the issue and recommended same for approval by the FUTO Council. The Council at its meeting held on the 18th of March, 2021 approved the prima facie case for Dr. Isa Ibrahim to be appointed a Professor of Cybersecurity.

“Following the approval of the prima facie case, Dr. Isa Ibrahim’s publications and productive works were sent for external assessment. The external assessment returned positive and the Council at its meeting of 20th August, 2021 approved his appointment as a Professor of Cybersecurity. He was given a tenure appointment as a Professor of Cybersecurity following his appointment by the FUTO Governing Council.

“The panel strongly recommends that the university management should as a matter of urgency take appropriate actions, including legal action, against those who deliberately try to drag the image and reputation of FUTO to the mud,” the report partly reads.

Among those who diminished the varsity and Pantami over the appointment was Farooq  Kperogi  , a professor of English and journalism in the US.

He referred to the appointment as quota-system professor considering the scanty publication, length of time in lecturing, and research works available to Pantami’s credit.