Nothing wrong in my participation in politics, College Provost tells legislators

NAN-H-43
Petition
By Yakubu Uba
Yola, March 2, 2018 (NAN) The Provost, Adamawa College of Education, Hong, Dr Johnson Pongri, on Friday admitted supporting some politicians in the state during the 2015 general elections, saying nothing was wrong with that.
Pongri made this known when he appeared before members of Adamawa House of Assembly’s Committee on Rules, Privileges and Public Petitions in Yola to answer to issues in a petition against him.
The petitioners had accused him of involvement in active politics and misappropriation of the college’s funds.
Confirming his assistance to politicians during the polls, Pongri said that he supported Malam Nuhu Ribadu, who was the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Ahmed Modibbo, the governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM).
He also admitted that he assisted Sen. Abdul-Azeez Nyako, who was the candidate for Adamawa Central Senatorial District, and said that he supported the candidates with campaign souvenirs.
Pongri, however, told the lawmakers that the assistance to the politicians was with his personal money and not the institution’s funds as alleged.
He backed his action with what he described as “landmark judgement by Justice Uwais in 2003” which said that a public servant can be a card-carrying member of a political party, but cannot stand for election.
“I assisted Modibbo who is my classmate and good friend; Ribadu was my student, while Abdul-Azeez is the son of former governor, Murtala Nyako, during whose tenure I was made the Provost of COE, Hong,” he said.
Pongri challenged those accusing him of misappropriating the college’s money or supporting politicians with the school’s funds to bring evidence.
On the appointment of a diploma holder as the college’s Bursar, he said that the appointment was on acting capacity and that already, the man had now acquired a degree.
On having attained retirement age of 65 years for academicians that are not professors, he said that though he had attained that age, he could not retire because his position as provost was a tenure appointment.
He explained that he was still a staff member of Adamawa State University from where he was appointed as provost of the college, adding that the university had recently approved his professorship and had sent his papers for final endorsement.
“I am also a Fellow of Historical Society of Nigeria which is like a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in the law profession.
“Professionally, a Fellow is higher than a professor,’’ Pongri said.
On the alteration in his primary school certificate where his date of birth indicated 1963 instead of 1953 as contained in his birth certificate, he said that the mistake was made by his late headmaster.
He said that the man corrected the mistake but did not sign on the correction.
On allegation that he appointed his wife as the college’s Liaison Officer in Yola, Pongri explained that due process was followed in the appointment.
According to him, she did transfer of service from Adamawa State Sports Council to the college.
On the appointment of a retired lecturer in the college as principal of the institution’s Comprehensive Secondary School, the provost said that at that time, the lecturer was the best available.
He said that the accusation that he never stayed up to a week in the institution as untrue as he had a busy schedule as Chairman, Committee of Colleges of Education and member of NEEDS Assessment Committee.
“I am the Vice President of Historical Society of Nigeria. I also visits Gombe University and Adamawa University where I serve as visiting lecturer.
“I also visit TetFund regularly; you can’t just sit down in one place and get certain things done,” Pongri said.
He insisted that his frequent travels were meaningful and never affected his administration of the college.
The Registrar and Bursar of the college have been summoned to also appear before the committee.
Some stakeholders in Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas had petitioned the House of Assembly, calling for Pongri’s probe “for misconduct’’.
The petitioners alleged that the provost misappropriated the institution’s funds, appointed principal officers without following due process and engaged in partisan politics.
The petitioners, who addressed themselves as Concerned Citizens of Hong and Gombi Local Government Areas, listed their names as Bala Titus, Iliyas Adams, Edward Wilson, Garba Adamu, Mercy Joseph, Jackson Kwabala and Musa Muhammadu. (NAN)
YMU/OPI/OPI