Plot to elongate UNIABUJA registrar’s tenure stirs controversy

 
The alleged moves by the Registrar, University of Abuja, Mallam Mohammed Modibbo, to extend his tenure in office is raising concern in the university, our correspondent has gathered.

The Registrar is said to have overstayed in office by two years in contravention of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act (2010).

Moddibo, whose initial appointment as the registrar took effect on August 15, 2006, ended his first term in 2011.

However, shortly before the expiration of his tenure, he applied for an extension, an action the Prof. Iya Abubakar-led Governing Council of the institution granted.

Findings indicated that the council at its 59th regular meeting on July 19, 2011, approved the renewal of Modibbo’s tenure until he attained 65 years or 35 years in service when he was to retire from the public service.

The purported letter of renewal of appointment was said to have been signed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sunday Adelabu, on August 5, 2011.

Findings showed that Modibbo, who was born on September 28, 1954, would be 60 years on September 28, 2014, but some critics, who noted that his continued stay in office was an illegality, said he should vacate the office.

Sources told our correspondent that the Special Visitation Panel sent to the university by its Visitor, President Goodluck Jonathan, had before the recent call for Modibbo’s removal, described his continued stay in office as an illegality.

Section 3 of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act (2010), says, “A Registrar shall hold office for a single tenure of five years only beginning from the effective date of his appointment; notwithstanding the subsection (3) of the section, the Council may upon satisfactory performance extend the tenure of the Registrar for a further period of one year only and thereafter, such a Registrar shall relinquish his post and be assigned to other duties in the university.”

Commenting on the development, a lawyer, Pius Achadu, argued that any extension of the registrar’s tenure is in contravention of the law, noting that no registrar can stay in office for more than six years.

He said, “At the expiration of his six years, he can be assigned to other duties in the university according to the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act. Anything beyond six years is an illegality. The registrar must therefore vacate the office at the expiration of the five years and if extended by one year, then six years.

“As a non-academic staff in the position equivalent to that of a registrar, he or she shall be compulsorily retired at 65 years of age by the university authorities. Other implications arising from non-compliance with the provisions of the Act are that, whoever stays in the office as Registrar for more than six years could be made to refund to the university authorities all monies collected for the period of over-stay as regards to the benefits accrued to the office.”

But the Director, Public Relations Unit, UNIABUJA, Garba Waziri, said there was no tenure extension plot, noting that Modibbo’s tenure would expire this year.

He explained that the university council had granted Modibbo a two-year extension after his tenure expired, adding that the registrar would leave office this year.

Waziri said, “What I can say categorically is that the registrar’s tenure expires this year and it is up to the university council to determine the next registrar. The current registrar will leave office and he can still occupy any position in the university until he retires at 65 years of age
source: http://www.punchng.com/education/plot-to-elongate-uniabuja-registrars-tenure-stirs-controversy/

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