NAF Institute academic director Prof Tyoor resigns over dean’s hostility

From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Director of Academic Planning and Quality Management, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Prof Terhemba Tyoor, has resigned his position over what he termed the ‘overbearing’ attitude of the Dean of Post Graduate Studies, Group Captain Sheriff Lawal.

Prof Tyoor in a resignation letter dated December 7, 2020, which was made available to Daily Sun, and addressed to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, explained that since the deployment of Group Captain Lawal as Dean of Postgraduate Studies, academic protocols in the institute as well as conventions have been completely disregarded by the Dean.

He said in the resignation letter that the Dean has neither recognised him nor accorded necessary regards to the office of the Director of Academic Planning which he occupied.

‘I was employed as the Director of Academic Planning and Quality Management in 2018, and I have served with the impeccable record until the deployment of Group Captain Lawal as Dean postgraduate studies in 2019. Ideally, I should be responsible for academic planning of the Institute and all other communications but otherwise became the case,’ he stated.

‘Group Captain Lawal, contrary to academic protocols and conventions, became bitterly hostile to any communication that emanated from my office, thereby, claiming superiority on the bases of military-civilian relations.

‘I have repeatedly reported the development to the Commandant of the Institute for his intervention, but instead of providing leadership to the situation, he repeatedly entreats me to be patient with the Group Captain which I did countless times.

‘I continued to tolerate the provoked excesses of the Dean in line with the Commandant’s advice until it got to verbal abuses, physical assault and open threat to my life. I was compelled to report the matter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), for their kind intervention.

‘The Commandant later advised that I withdraw the petitions to enable him to intervene, which I did. Surprisingly, he issued me with a query when I informed him about the successful withdrawal of the petitions. He asked me to appear before a constituted staff disciplinary committee under the Chairmanship of Air Commodore AA Shinkafi. Unsatisfied with the arrangement, I approached the Federal High Court for intervention.

‘It’s heartbreaking that in spite of Court processes instituted against the staff disciplinary exercise, the Chairman of the committee, Air Commodore Shinkafi, insisted on the sitting. His plan was to fabricate lies against me with the intention of interdicting and recommending to the Governing Council for my dismissal.

‘In view of all these unfortunate circumstances, while thanking you immensely for the opportunity of serving the Institute in my capacity as the Director of Academic Planning, I hereby tender the resignation of my appointment this 7th day of December 2020.’

Prof Tyoor thanked the Institute for the opportunity to serve and appealed to the Chief of Air Force and the Institute to consider and accept his resignation.