Akoka: Federal College of Education workers tackle provost over tenure extension
The staff of Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, have staged a protest against the school’s provost, Dr. Wahab Azeez, over his tenure in office.
The protest which took place in the school premises on Monday was directed at the alleged unlawful stay in office of the provost as the agitators claimed it was against the Act governing Federal Colleges across the country.
Monday’s protest started around 9 am as FCET staff members marched through the college premises singing solidarity songs.
They also carried placards with different inscriptions some of which read: ‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu your authority and assented law is been usurped by Azeez and other authorities,’ ‘Concerned staff FCE(T), Akoka Law supersedes connection or monetary influence. Let the new act take its hold in Akoka,’ ‘Concerned staff FCE(T), Akoka,’ ‘Azeez is as good as a sole proprietor due to his dictatorship, not as a public officer.’ ‘Concerned staff FCE(T), Akoka, ‘Leaders who seek only power and control will end up losing both.’
Speaking at the protest, the deputy registrar, Chris Olamiju, told our correspondent that the Provost’s tenure in office had come to an end on the 26th of May 2024, according to section 13 subsection 7a and b of the new Act signed by President Bola Tinubu.
Olamiju quoted the Act as thus, “If on the commencement of this section, a Provost appointed before the commencement of this Act has held office for (a)less than five years, the provost shall be deemed to be serving the five-year single term and shall not have the right for the renewal of his appointment for a further term of four years.
“(b) more than five years and serving the second term of office, be deemed to be serving the last term of office without any further extension.”
Olamiju noted that the protest was a result of the misinterpretation of the act by the Ministry of Education to support the provost’s stay in office.
Also at the protest, assistant Deputy Bursar, Nicolas Ogbusuo, said that the staff at FCET Akoka College were protesting the renewal of the Provost’s appointment, citing a new law that limits tenure to five years. Ogbusuo stressed an acting provost be appointed pending a new appointment
”We are protesting the renewal of the Provost’s appointment, the new law stated that tenure is limited to five years. Despite the law, the provost claims to have a letter from the ministry granting him an additional five years, which we know cannot supersede the law. We demand an acting Provost be appointed pending a permanent replacement,” he stated.
The principal assistant registrar, Austin Nwachukwu, said that the new act states that any Provost appointed before its commencement, who has not served five years, shall have a single five-year tenure. Nwachukwu noted that the provost, appointed in 2019, has served four years, and his five-year tenure ended on Sunday.
He further explained that the staff were rejecting the ministry’s interpretation of the act, which allowed him to stay beyond five years, and was demanding his removal, citing the college’s deteriorating state and their desire for new leadership.
Reacting to the agitation, The Provost Federal College of Education (Technical), Dr Wahab Azeez, said that his tenure which commenced on 26th of May, 2023, had been duly authorised and confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Azeez noted that the clarification was by the new law signed by the President on June 12, 2023.
