The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) protested Ali Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, being promoted to professor on Monday, calling it illegitimate.
According to Channels Television, during the 186th assembly of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), the minister was named a professor in cybersecurity.
Pantami’s ascension has sparked debate, with many criticizing FUTO for promoting a minister who has never taught at the university and whose best academic achievement before entering politics was a lecturer.
However, ASUU President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, stated during a press conference following the National Executive Council meeting that the Minister was unqualified for the position of professor.
The union also chastised the federal government for allowing the illegality to continue and demanded that he be removed from office and prosecuted.
“From the information made available to us, Dr. Pantami was not qualified and he violated the established procedure for appointment of professor. We are surprised that the government still allowed him to stand,” he said.
“You cannot be a minister and a lecturer in a university. It is an encouragement of illegality. Pantami has to quit as a minister and be tried for doing double jobs within the same federal system. He is not qualified. Pantami should not be treated as a professor. We have resolved to sanction ASUU members involved in his promotion and the VC of FUTO.”
ASUU also promised to discipline any of its members who were implicated in Pantami’s elevation, including the vice-chancellor of FUTO.
