The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has launched an investigation into the appointment and has directed its FUTO chapter to look into the circumstances under which Pantami was promoted to the highest academic rank in the institution.
Reacting to the development, the chairman of ASUU, FUTO branch, Mr Christopher Echereobia, told Saturday Tribune that the union was aware of the development, adding that the union was already investigating the issue.
Echereobia said the national secretariat of ASUU had directed that “the issue should be investigated to ascertain the true position of the matter.”
He explained that the union held its zonal meeting on Wednesday and the issue was discussed.
The FUTO ASUU chairman said investigation was ongoing and as soon as the inquiry was concluded, the union would come out with its position. He said ASUU members in the institution had been given two weeks to investigate the matter and come up with their findings.
Echereobia said: “I just came back from Awka. We have been meeting and we want to get to the root of the matter.”
The ASUU chief said already, the union had contacted ASUU at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Univeristy (ATBU) because they learnt that Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim was a one-time staff member there before he went for a PhD and later went to Medina.
He added that the union was also trying to reach the Saudi institution to ascertain the true position, whether he was “associate professor” there or not.
