Federal Polytechnic Bauchi sacks two lecturers for alleged sexual harassment.

The Governing Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, has sacked two of its lecturers who were found guilty of sexually harassing their students.

This decision was made during the 98th meeting of the Governing Council of the Polytechnic which was held on Saturday, October 23.  The dismissed lecturers are Musa Baba Abubakar of the General Studies Department and Adebusoye Michael Sunday of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department.

However, addressing journalists at the end of the meeting which lasted for several hours, the Rector, Arc. Yahaya Gumau, denied the allegations that the school management was trying to cover up the matters and the erring lecturers.

“I welcome you to witness the final verdict of all that have been making waves in the media concerning the issue of our staff who was reported to have been allegedly involved in rape, Abubakar Musa Baba,” Arc Gumau said. “But what surprises me the most is that it is only his own name that is being mentioned. The other lecturer’s name was silent in the media, I don’t know the reason or the rationale behind it.

“I directed that the staff be queried which was the next line of action as per the extant rules of our institution as provided by the federal government. But when his reply was not satisfactory, we established a committee to investigate that matter thoroughly to its logical conclusion.”

He added that: “After the committee submitted its report, the next authority that should have looked into the issue is the Sub-Committee of the Council. And the Council normally meet quarterly. This issue happened after the last council and it was the next meeting that would decide on the case.

“The Senior Staff Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee met and invited the suspect. We cross-examined him and made our recommendations to the Council. “The Council today, has finally, approved the dismissal of Abubakar Musa Baba from the service of the Polytechnic, Bauchi. Also, Adebusoye Michael Sunday is dismissed from the services of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi with effect from Saturday on a similar case. That is the decision of the Council on these issues.”

Gumau said that the two ladies (victims), have military backgrounds noting that, “the case of Musa Baba, the student involved, her father is a military man”, adding that “this second one also, her sister who was financing her, is a military personnel and she was the one who gave her the clue on how to go about the case. ”He said that the issue has been treated to its logical conclusion, stressing that the Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, in its 98th sitting, has finally, dismissed these two staff.”

The Rector said that the dismissal letters of the erring lecturers would be handed to the Police and the Department of State Service who assisted the institution on the matter, for subsequent submission to them. 

Meanwhile, PIDI-Nigeria has allegedly received a letter from a law firm representing the Academic Staff Union of Polytchnic (ASUP) Federal Polytechnic Bauchi Chapter, demanding the immediate retraction of the ‘libelious statement against their client’. See the letter below: