Friday, September 12, 2025
Home Education Professorship: Pantami reacts to ASUU's verdict

Professorship: Pantami reacts to ASUU’s verdict

Nigeria’s minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Ibrahim, popularly known as Pantami, has reacted to the verdict passed by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on his appointment as a professor of Cybersecurity by the Federal University of Technology, Oweri (FUTO).

Mr Ibrahim, who spoke on Wednesday while addressing journalists shortly after the Federal Executive Council Meeting (FEC) which was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said he would refrain from publicly speaking on the issue because the matter is in court.

Premium Times reports that the minister had spoken extensively on a policy document approved by FEC which mandates government officials and agencies to mandatorily use official emails with the government’s domain name, but when asked about the ASUU’s position on his professorship award, he declined comment.

The minister said: “On your second question, no comment. No comment, and no comment. That is my position. I’m here for an official assignment that focuses on my responsibility. So anything to deal with my ministry of communications and digital economy, I can be subjected to you and that is why I come here. I couldn’t go anywhere.

“What is most important is that the institutions you have mentioned are in court. As a government official, do you know what contempt of court is? You need to know. So because of this, I’m a law-abiding citizen.”

In September, 2021, Mr Ibrahim was among seven academics who were elevated by the council of FUTO to the position of professorship at the council’s 186th meeting.

The university, in a statement, listed others to include Lawrence Ettu as a professor of civil engineering; Godfrey Emeghara as a professor of maritime management technology; Okechukwu Onyelucheya as a professor of chemical engineering; Alex Opara and Chikwendu Okereke as professors of geology, among others.

The development had attracted controversy among Nigerians, especially academics, who described the process leading to the appointment as “unprecedented and illegal.”

ASUU on Monday gave its verdict on the professorship awarded to Mr Ibrahim, describing the appointment as illegal.

At a media briefing held at the University of Lagos at the end of its two-day marathon meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC), ASUU said the review of the processes that led to Mr Ibrahim’s appointment as a professor , were against the laid-down procedures within the university system.

The union’s president, Emmanuel Osodeke, said: “ASUU NEC rejects in its entirety the purported appointment of Dr Isah Ali Ibrahim Pantami as a professor of cybersecurity.

RELATED ARTICLES

North-Eastern University Secures Permanent License, NUC Accreditation with 91.4% Score

Gombe, Nigeria – North-Eastern University, a private institution in Gombe State, has secured permanent accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) after scoring an...

ASUU FUK AWARD SCHOLARSHIP TO INDIGENT STUDENTS

The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU FUK branch has presented letter of scholarship award to the beneficiaries of its indigent scholarship scheme. Presenting the...

Buni celebrates teenage winners of global English competition, debate

Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe has congratulated two teenagers of the state origin for emerging overall best in English Language and debate competition...

Most Popular

Despite the lessons learned, Nigeria could be Plunged into another quagmire

By Tahir Abdurrahman Mukhtar Nigerians are likely to continue languishing in silence hunger, poverty, hardship, abuse of all kinds of and economic, social, and political...

The Beauty of Fashion

By Asmau Muhammad saidu Fashion is more than just clothing it is a cultural and social force that reflects identity, creativity, and societal values. Throughout...

Retired Permanent Secretary Picks APC Membership Card In Gombe

Dukku Local Government went agog, as mammoth crowd of heavy weight politicians, groups and associations as well as friends and family attended a colorful...

Tinubu directs military reinforcement to crush banditry in Katsina

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Armed Forces of Nigeria to deploy advanced hardware and surveillance systems in Katsina State to counter rising attacks...

Recent Comments

// DEBUG: Processing site: https://hamadatimes.com // DEBUG: Panos response HTTP code: 200 ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş ilbet yeni giriş