Court upholds right to hear case against selection of FUT, Minna, VC

By Wole Mosadomi

Niger State High Court sitting in Minna has said that it has jurisdiction to entertain a suit challenging the process adopted for the selection of a new Vice Chancellor for the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna.

Three dons, Professors Musa Galadima,  Adama and M.A.T Suleiman had approached the High Court to stop the selection of the sixth Vice-Chancellor for the university, alleging double standards by the Governing Council of the university in the selection process.

When the case was mentioned early in October, counsel to the FUT, the Governing Council and Council Chairman Olajide , SAN, had prayed the court to dismiss the case on the ground that it lacked the jurisdiction to try a case affecting a federal government owned institution.

When the matter came up yesterday, Justice Aishat Buwari declared that her court has the jurisdiction to entertain the suit.

She then adjourned the case till January 22, 2013 and directed the Governing Council not to announce any substantive Vice-Chancellor for the institution until the dtermination of the case.

The plaintiffs had among other things challenged the publication of two different advertisements with conflicting requirements for applicants to fill the post of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor as the incumbent’s (Professor Muhammed Audu) tenure expired on the November 26, this year.

The development led to the emergence of Professor Akim Osunde as the acting Vice-Chancellor at the 96th meeting of the governing council of the institution.