From Paul Orude, Bauchi
The Management of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi has sacked two lecturers found guilty of sexually harassing their female students.
The Rector, Arc. Sanusi Gumau, disclosed this on Saturday night while addressing the press.
Gumau said the decision was taken during the polytechnic’s 98th Governing Council meeting on Saturday.
The dismissed lecturers are Musa Baba Abubakar of the General Studies Department and Adebusoye Michael Sunday of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department.
The rector denied allegation that the school management had tried to cover up the errant lecturer, while also revealing that another staff was indicted in the illicit act.
‘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,’ h 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.
“This issue of Musa Baba came up on August 3, 2021. The extant rule of the Polytechnic is that, if an issue of this magnitude happens, the complainant has to write. And immediately she wrote, the Registrar, that evening was in my house with her HOD.
‘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.
‘After the committee submitted its report, the next authority that should have looked into the issue is the subcommittee of the Council. And the Council normally meets quarterly.
‘This issue happened after the last council and it was the next meeting that would decide 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 (Saturday) , has finally approved the dismissal of Abubakar Musa Baba from the service of the Polytechnic, Bauchi.
‘Also, Adebusoye Michael Sunday is dismissed from the service of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi with effect from Saturday on a similar case. That is the decision of the Council on these issues.
‘The case of Musa Baba, the student involved, her father is a military man. The second one also, her sister who is financing her is a military personnel and she was the one who gave her the clue on how to go about the case’
It will be recalled that the Prison Inmates Development Initiative (PIDI-Nigeria) on behalf of the 17-year-old female victim had launch petition that after several complaints by the victim to the Management, she was threatened not to inform her parents or guardians, and not to grant audience or approach any authority concerning the case.
In a letter of complaint, PIDI-Nigeria, on behalf of the victim, had addressed the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Ministry of Justice through the Director, Public Prosecution of the Ministry, Bauchi, in which it alleged that the Management of the institution was trying to cover up Mr. Abubakar who it alleged has a history of groping female students of the polytechnic.
‘The lecturer (Musa Baba Abubakar) having defiled one 17-year-old female student was caught red-handed by the Rector of the school.
‘He has been accused of sexually molesting many female students and forcing himself on them.
“For emphasis sake, he was perhaps, not ready to stop without applying any form of the big stick, when he was caught red-handed and pardoned after his colleagues apologized to the school management on his behalf,” the letter stated in part.