From Adamu Shehu Bauchi
Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Lecturers (ATAP) in Bauchi state, have dissociated themselves with recent media reports alleging character assassination against the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Professor Suleiman Bogoro by one of them.
The AUTHROITY gathered that an unfairly treated lecturer, Dr. Ibrahim Sunusi was among those to further their education abroad sponsored by TETFUND but was denied the school fees, after which, he went frenzy.
While speaking to newsmen in Bauchi on Monday, the spokesperson of the stranded lecturers, Mr. Osifo Aibuedefe Stephen flanked by his colleagues denounced that Dr. Sunusi is not doing the right thing in pursuing the case, adding that he should have pursued his entitlements through the appropriate channel.
Mr. Stephen said the stranded lecturers who were supposed to be sponsored for studies, about 22 of them in 2015, 2016 and 2017, were given insufficient funds by TETFUND, to the extent they sold off their properties to take care of themselves during the studies.
However, he maintained that the TETFUND boss, Professor Bogoro who is an indigene of Bauchi state has promised to compensate the affected lecturers, noting that the series of newspaper publications by Dr. Sunusi didn’t represent their interest.
“We denounce and dissociate ourselves from Dr. Ibrahim Sunusi’s excesses. That he is not recognized as the spokesperson for the stranded scholars in Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi.”
“That we are not privy to any of the publications made by Dr. Ibrahim Sunusi in Nigerian dailies.” he added.
When contacted, Dr. Ibrahim Sunusi claimed that he was not speaking on behalf of ATAP lecturers but was authorized by stranded lecturers in over 60 public tertiary institutions across the country.
According to him, over 560 lecturers nationwide were affected and that as secretary of their union called TETFUND stranded lecturers, he has every right to speak on behalf of the victims.
