Ex registrar makes case for appointment of professors as poly rectors

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The immediate past Registrar of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON) Prince Jay Oghifo has said that there is nothing wrong in appointing academics with higher qualifications as rectors of Polytechnics or Colleges of Technology in the country.
He stated this in a press statement made available to the media in Kaduna yesterday.
According to him ,it was even more apt to appoint professors as rectors of polytechnics and colleges of technology that run degree courses as it obtains in some institutions like Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic.
Oghifo who was the former National Secretary of the Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), was reacting to alleged controversy which was generated by the recent screening of rectorship applicants for Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
He insisted that any polytechnic or college of technology that offers degree courses should be headed by someone with a qualification higher than a master’s degree.
He explained that the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had in its early days, designated Yaba College of Technology and Kaduna Polytechnic as City Universities, pointing out that the two institutions academic board, senate should be headed by Professors.
He added that the newly appointed Rector of Kaduna Polytechnic is Professor Idris M. Bugaje, a Professor of Chemical Engineering.
Prince Oghifo then called on the Federal Government to demand for the comprehensive report of the entire screening process before the final appointment would be made.
It would be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics ASUP, Yaba College of Technology chapter had protested the inclusion of the names of 3 professors on the list of those that were invited for interview by the College Governing Board for the post of rector of the institution.
ASUP maintained that the act establishing the institution made provision for appointment of only chief lecturers within the college as rector.