Stay Away from Our School, Aliko Dangote College of Nursing Sciences Warns Bauchi SSG
By Abdullahi Idris,Bauchi
· enough is enough – Students warn Bauchi SSG
· Insist due process must be followed in appointing substantive Provost
Students of Aliko Dangote College of Nursing Sciences in Bauchi have staged a peaceful protest, demanding that the Secretary to the State Government, Barr Ibrahim Kashim Mohammed should steer clear of the affairs of the College which is an independent institution.
Recall that this is coming barely one week after students of Abubakar Tatari Ali in the State embarked on a violent protest.
The students during the protest blocked the Ran road causing a temporary halt of vehicular movement in order to express their grievances.
One of the student leaders who spoke to Journalists without wanting his name on print alleged that the SSG has continued to direct the affairs of the College from his office to the detriment of its development.
He further alleged that the office of the SSG only recently directed for the reinstatement of the former Provost of the College, Rakiya Saleh as Acting Provost after the expiration of her tenure.
The students’ leader further stated that the procedure followed in her appointment did not follow due process considering the fact that based on the laws regulating the College, it is the Deputy Provost who should act until a new Provost is appointed expressing surprise at the turn of events.
“The appointment of Rakiya Saleh as the Acting Provost is unacceptable to the students’ body and therefore we want it reversed in order to allow the Deputy Provost, Mallam Haruna Burra to continue to act until a new Provost is appointed,” he said
Also speaking to Journalists, one of the branch officials of the Nigeria Nurse Educators Union, Comrade Funmilayo Abubakar said that the reason for the protest is that several times when the students had issues with the management, they will complain, organize ourselves but along the line, someone among them will go by the side and ask the lecturers to sign against their meeting.
” That was the reason I said, today I will never call any of them, I will join the students all alone. The problem we have is that her tenure expired on the 6th of July 2022, we, therefore, want due process to be followed in appointing a new Provost. We a constitution guiding this College which says that when a tenure expires, an acting Provost will be appointed and it must be the Deputy Provost who should act”, she added.
She further narrated that Deputy Provost Mallam Haruna Burra was appointed as Deputy Provost and she handed it over to him.
“but to our greatest surprise, this morning we came to the school and we were told that, with due respect to the office of the SSG, we should leave sentiments aside, the SSG should leave us alone, this is not a political office, it is an institution”
“The SSG always must interfere in our affairs and said that they should reverse one thing or another, we are sick and tired of that, he should manage the political office he was appointed to manage political office holders. We are not saying that the Governing Council is not there, it is there to represent us but not allowed to do their work because every day they must interfere”.
“As contained in the laws of the College, the position must be advertised for interested candidates, that is the due process which must be followed. Her tenure just finished this 6th July, why is the SSG giving instruction to the Head of Service when we are answerable to the Ministry of Health, he should allow them to do their job. We are sick and tired” She said
While speaking on the protest, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the College, Hamza Abubakar said that the situation has been brought the situation under control as the students have gone back inside the premises.
“We were called for a meeting at the Ministry of Health this morning (Monday) and briefed that Rakiya Saleh, former Provost is coming back as the Acting Provost of the College based on a verbal directive from the office of the SSG. That is all I can tell you ” he said
The Deputy Provost Mallam Haruna Burra who was acting before now corroborated the development saying that he was invited to a meeting at the Ministry of Health where he was verbally directed to handover back to Rakiya Sale as the Acting Provost based on a directive from the office of the SSG.
When probed further he simply said that “I am a civil servant, and I am ready to obey directives. I am preparing my handover notes and in sha Allah, I will do that very soon to hand over to her, in fact, the only thing that is delaying me is the financial records because the development came suddenly”.
All efforts to get a reaction from the former now Acting Provost, Rakiya Saleh proved abortive as her phone was switched off as of the time of filing the report