ABU, lecturer trade words over non-completion of doctorate in 14 years

The controversy surrounding the three queries issued by the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, to its lecturer has become messier as the don and the Vice-Chancellor exchanged banters over doctoral academic degree.

While the lecturer, who is in the Department of Mass Communication and a Publisher of Education Monitor Magazine, Waziri Isa Adam, laid his inability to complete his Ph.D. programme at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on the door-step of the VC, Prof. Kabiru Bala, the institution, in a statement, yesterday, dismissed the allegation and said that despite the grants offered to the lecturer, he could not complete the degree in 14 years.

Adam, in a personal statement, yesterday, said: “As a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, I am compelled to set the record straight. Contrary to the Vice Chancellor’s spokesman, Awwal Umar’s false claims, my academic pursuits have been unfairly targeted due to my outspoken criticism of the VC’s actions.

“Only after pressure from his friend, he agreed to allow me to proceed, but with conditions.

“Shockingly, Bala secretly requested the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos to withhold my academic records, effectively halting my progress.”
But the management of ABU, in its quick response in a statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Awwalu Umar, titled, “Malam Waziri Isa Adam’s failure to complete Ph.D. at University of Lagos 14 years after,” said: “The attention of the management of Ahmadu Bello University has been drawn to a press release issued today (Sunday, June 9, 2024) by Malam Waziri Isa Adam, a staff member of the institution, accusing the university management of his failure to complete his Ph.D. degree at the University of Lagos 14 years after enrolment for the programme.

“Given the wishy-washy manner in which he presented his Ph.D. update as captured in the release is simply to deceive the public.”

“Malam Adam has been an Assistant Lecturer since January 28, 2009 after his upgrade from Graduate Assistant following completion of his M.Sc. Mass Communication degree from the University of Lagos. He has been on that rank for well over 15 years now because of his inability to meet the institution’s academic promotion requirements.

“Adam also did not respond to the inquiry and his request was not granted. The university requested Adam to submit progress report of his Ph.D. academic standing through his Head of Department, which he also chose not to respond to.

“In a desperate attempt to distract the university and avert accountability, Adam has suddenly turned to his well-known and age-long blackmail style on the university management using the platform of the newspaper business that he runs on full-time basis.”