Education

COE Gindiri Appointment Sparks Court Battle Over Alleged Breach of Due Process

Published

9 months ago

September 26, 2025

vicky

Unions, Applicants,Plateau Govt ,Court ,College of Education Gindiri ,Appointment

The recent appointment of Mr. Loghomtukkum Collins Damak as Acting Director of Works at the College of Education (COE), Gindiri, has triggered a legal battle and renewed controversy within the institution.

The case, filed under suit number NICN/ABJ/245/2025 at the National Industrial Court, Abuja Division, was scheduled for hearing on Thursday but was abruptly transferred to the Jos Division. A new date for proceedings is yet to be fixed.

Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang had approved a fresh leadership team for the college in July, conveyed in a letter signed by Secretary to the State Government, Samuel Jatau. The appointments included Prof. Lazarus Maigoro as Provost, Abdullahi Babangida Abdullahi as Registrar, Felix Daflip as Bursar, and Loghomtukkum Collins Damak as Acting Director of Works.

While the government said the decision was part of efforts to reform Plateau’s education sector, Damak’s appointment has faced stiff opposition. Critics allege he neither applied for nor attended the advertised interview for the position in May 2025.

The suit was initiated by Barr. Mohammed Idris Kannam, one of the applicants for the role of Director of Works. He is asking the court to nullify Damak’s appointment and order a fresh recruitment exercise. Since then, the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) COE Gindiri chapter, and other applicants and citizens have joined the suit.

Respondents include Damak, the Chairperson of the Governing Council, Provost Maigoro, and the Plateau State Government.

Speaking with journalists after the case was moved to Jos, Barr. Kannam said the development was disappointing but not unusual.

“This case emanated from the advertised vacancies, one of which was for Director of Works. Mr. Damak neither applied nor attended the interview, yet he was appointed from nowhere. As a citizen and activist, I felt there was foul play, and it was important to challenge it,” he stated.

Kannam added that growing support from unions and staff underscored widespread concern over what they describe as a breach of due process.

In a related development, the Joint Union of Plateau State Tertiary Institutions, COE Gindiri Chapter, also faulted the appointment in an August 2025 letter. While congratulating the new management team, the unions questioned why an Acting Director of Works was appointed after a rigorous advertisement and interview process.

“If the candidate was not suitable for substantive appointment, he should not have been appointed at all. We therefore demand that the appointment be withdrawn and the position re-advertised,” the unions said.

They further criticized the appointment of a Registrar despite the availability of two qualified Deputy Registrars within the institution who had undergone the interview process.

The unions warned that ignoring their concerns could disrupt industrial harmony at the college.

The matter will now proceed in Jos, where stakeholders await the court’s decision on whether Damak’s appointment stands or a new recruitment process will be ordered.

Related Topics:Applicants appointment College of Education Gindiri Court Plateau Govt Unions

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Education

30 days after, teacher lies beheaded, Oyo schoolchildren languish as Tinubu, Makinde chase presidential ambition

Published

1 week ago

June 15, 2026

Preport

30 days after teacher lies beheaded Oyo schoolchildren languish as Tinubu Makinde chase presidential.png

A month after the mass abduction of 46 Oyo schoolchildren and teachers by terrorists on May 15 and the decapitation of a teacher, the captives remain in the forest despite military claims and political promises from President Bola Tinubu and Governor Seyi Makinde.

The terrorists kidnapped the students and staffers after invading schools in the Esienle and Yawota communities in Orire local council in Oyo state.

Days after the abduction, one of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded by the terrorists, pressuring the government to meet their demands for the release of the abductees.

On May 19, four days after the abduction, the Defence Headquarters, in a statement by its spokesperson, Michael Onoja, said, “Troops are currently deployed and actively operating within the forest in pursuit of the perpetrators and in search of the abducted victims.”

“Troops made contact with the criminal elements two days ago, have since reorganised, and are continuing the search and pursuit operations with full determination.”

The military and the government cited collateral damage as a reason for not taking out the terrorists.

While the schoolchildren and their teachers languish in captivity, Messrs Tinubu and Makinde have been engaging in electioneering as they chase their presidential dreams, both emerging as their party’s candidates for the 2027 election.

On May 31, Mr Makinde visited the hostages’ communities, promising their families the safe return of those abducted.

“This is not the time to start trading blame on who should be responsible for the release of these children between the state and federal government. This is just the time to come together to rescue our children and their teachers, Mr Makinde told the families of abductees. “All I need is your cooperation. Please trust us. I cannot speak much because it has security implications. I know your hearts are bleeding. My heart is also bleeding. Please trust us. We will secure their release.”

Similarly, a delegation representing Mr Tinubu, led by his chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, visited the families and made a similar promise.

In a video released by the terrorists, Rachael Alamu, one of the hostages and the principal of Community High School Esinele, begged Messrs Tinubu and Makinde to negotiate with the terrorists to secure their release.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State House of Assembly has opposed negotiating with the terrorists.

Debo Ogundoyin, the speaker of the assembly, said the state would not pay ransom, give weapons to terrorists or change laws to accommodate the kidnappers.

Several protests have followed the government’s failure to rescue the hostages.

Amid public outrage and discontent, many Nigerians protested across several states, including Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Bayelsa, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory, demanding the immediate rescue of the hostages.

In his Democracy Day speech on June 12, Mr Tinubu said, “Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy without security is not solid enough.”

The president urged terrorists and bandits across the country to lay down their arms or face the wrath of his administration.

Education

Plateau Teachers Protest Abduction of Oyo School Pupils, Demand Swift Rescue

Published

2 weeks ago

June 8, 2026

Preport

The Plateau State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has joined its counterparts across the country in protesting the abduction of pupils and teachers from a primary school in Oyo State.

Hundreds of teachers staged a demonstration in Jos, the Plateau State capital, carrying placards and banners to express their anger over the continued captivity of the victims several weeks after the incident.

The protesters called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the immediate and safe release of the abducted pupils and teachers, stressing that schools must remain safe spaces for learning.

They also expressed concern over the growing trend of school-related abductions in parts of the country, warning that such incidents could discourage parents from sending their children to school if not urgently addressed.

The union urged authorities to strengthen security around educational institutions and ensure the safe return of all victims still in captivity.