Joint Union of Plateau State-owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI), has expressed concern about the politicisation of removal and appointment of chief executives of tertiary institutions and outright cancellation of employment carried out in October 2022.
JUPTI informed the inherent danger and negative precedents that the said action of the government will create in the nearest future.
Addressing journalists yesterday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Press Centre in Jos, chairman of JUPTI, Sunoe Peter Longbaam, wondered what criteria were used to remove the heads of the tertiary institutions as their removal was not in tandem with the extant laws governing the institutions.
Longbaam noted with shock that not long ago the governor, Caleb Mutfwang was a beneficiary of law and justice when the Supreme Court validated his election.
“We are afraid these acts might be counter – productive with gross and unimaginable consequences in the accreditation of the programmes of the institutions.
“As if the damage done with the removal was not enough, we were again confronted with the government term “Temporary Appointment” even where exists Deputy which by law should rightly be given such positions. How can we have temporary heads of tertiary institutions where there are deputies?” he contended.
He said that the action by the government was in a total disregard of the laws guiding the operation of the institutions, which he said was a serious setback in their quest for a better education system in the state.
“This action will definitely constitute a setback in our tertiary institutions. It is sad that it is the educational sector that the government chose to politicize. This action is painful and should be noted that any government toying with education is destroying the future generation”, Longbaam added.
