1 Minute, 3 Queries: ABU VC cracks down on Education monitor publisher
In a bid to curtail the critical reporting of Education Monitor Group, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Kabiru Bala, has issued three queries within one minute to Waziri Isa Adam, the Publisher and Group Editor-in-Chief.
This action comes just months before the end of Bala’s five-year tenure.
Investigations by Education Monitor reveal that influential figures within the university, who have benefited from the current administration, are pressuring the Vice-Chancellor to suppress the publisher’s watchdog activities.
The publisher, who also lectures in the university’s Mass Communication Department, was given 48 hours to respond to the allegations of publishing stories that cast the university in a negative light.
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The queries, signed by Deputy Registrar Dalhatu Salihu, reference past articles including “Mysterious Fire Engulfs ABU Cash Office” and “Yayale’s Appointment As ABU Pro-Chancellor,” labeling them as malicious and inciting.
In his response dated June 7, 2024, the Publisher requested specific details on the offending content, stating the need for clarity to respond adequately.
He expressed concerns over the manner of the query delivery, noting the presence of stern-looking university staff at his residence in the evening, which he found intimidating.
The Publisher warned that any unjust disciplinary action would be contested in court, asserting it would violate academic and press freedoms.
