Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has approved the appointment of a former Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Shedrack Best, as the new Vice Chancellor of the state university located in the Bokkos Local Government Area of the state.
Shortly after the governor fired Prof. Bernard Matur, the former VC, and four other heads of the state-owned tertiary institutions, the appointment took place.
The appointment of the new VC was announced in a statement signed by Samuel Jatau, the Secretary to the State Government, and dated February 7, 2024.
As per the statement, the governor also named four new leaders for the state-run postsecondary institutions, including Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, the new provost of the University of Jos and former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Gindiri College of Education.
The statement read, “His Excellency, the Executive Governor Caleb Mutfwang has approved the appointment of the following heads of tertiary institutions in the state. They are Professor Shedrack, Vice Chancellor, Plateau State University, Bokkos; Dr. Clement Chairman, Rector, Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi; Associate Professor Lazarus Maigoro, Provost, College of Education, Gindiri; Dr. Jonathan Bulus, Provost, College of Health Technology, Zawan; and Dr. Markus Avong, Provost, College of Health Technology, Pankshin.”
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The announcement also stated that all of the appointments were effective right away.
In order to reposition the schools for efficient service delivery, it urged the recent appointees to get started by investigating the management-staff relationship as well as the sources of revenue and expenses.
The Plateau State University’s host community in Butura, however, has denounced the firing of Matur, the former vice chancellor of the institution, calling the governor’s action unlawful and detrimental to the university’s expansion.
The host community insisted that the former VC had done nothing wrong tojustify his removal in a statement released on Thursday and jointly signed by Secretary Tabai Kawai and Butura Youth President Marshal Sule. The statement also called on the governor to reinstate him immediately.
“For the sake of clarity and adherence to due process, it is imperative to reference the legal framework governing the removal of a Vice-Chancellor as stipulated in Section 3(8)-(11) of the Principal Act, duly amended. This provision vests the authority to remove the Vice-Chancellor in the Governing Council, subject to specific grounds such as gross misconduct or incapacity to fulfill the duties of the office.
“Importantly, the process outlined mandates a fair and transparent procedure, including the constitution of a Joint Committee of Council and Senate to investigate allegations and provide a platform for the accused to defend themselves. Any decision reached by the Council is subject to appeal to the Visitor, ensuring accountability and safeguarding the rights of all parties involved.
“None of these procedures were followed in removing Professor Matur as Vice Chancellor, and no reason was given except for what we have independently gathered to be connected to political differences,” the statement read.
It added that “this is in spite of the fact that the Butura nation overwhelmingly voted for the PDP in the elections that brought Barrister Mutfwang to power. In addition, the University is purely an academic institution governed by laws and professional experience not sentiments.
“After all, Professor Matur’s capacity in steering the University towards academic excellence and institutional growth, including fostering a harmonious relationship with the host community is not in doubt.”