From Nahum Sule
JALINGO—The Visitation Panel to the Taraba State university constituted by the Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, said mismanagement and lack of accountability has adversely affected the policy and direction of the university.
In a interview with The panel chairman, the former Speaker of the Taraba state House of Assembly, Associate Prof., Josiah Sabo Kente he said lack of transparency in the recruitment process of staff at the university, leading to an imbalance in staff composition.
In his words he said “Between 2012 to 2016, the university management couldn’t avail to the Panel the university casebook, instead they use electronic transfer “.
“The university also employ staff at will without any course for a lay down procedure or interview. The university which runs about 53 program only have 39 professors, 609 academic staff, which 218 are graduate assistance, and 140 and visiting staff or on sabbatical. Some department have 1 lecturer with 18 non academic staff “ he said.
The Chairman recommended that recruitment should be conducted for more academic staff to be employed in compliance with the National University Commission’s guidelines which require university to have 70% academic staff and 30% non academic staff.
He, however, called for the expansion of staff development programmes to enhance the skills of both the academic and non-academic staff in the university.
When asked about how the university management couldn’t account for the missing 6 Billion naira, he stated that the period in which the money was missing was between 2010 to 2013 and the university has not made any available record and also no single retirement since it establishment.
Associate Professor Kente further stated that the Panel had also discovered irregularities regarding the financial management of the Institution including statutory allocation and the internally generated revenue, which are not in compliance with appropriate regulations.
The committee recommended that an investigation be conducted to ascertain the financial management of the Institution while recommending that due process be followed for transparency and accountability.
