The Fallacies of Faceless 'Katsina Watch'

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Muhammad Danjuma 
@ Katsina Times 

Fake news and the proliferation of raw opinion that passes for public consumption, is creating confusion, punching holes in what is true thereby causing a kind of fun-house effect that leaves the reader doubting everything, including real news.

The above assertion best described what a faceless group, 'Katsina Watch', which fictitiously wrote an article wretchedly titled: "Appeal to Urgently Rescue Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management from Bad Leaders/Agents of Destruction".

The contemptuous article with the above caption dated August, 22nd, 2023, was signed by a suspicious rumour peddler, Abdullahi Nuhu, who claimed to be the state coordinator of the absurdly incongruous Katsina Watch.

The sole aim of the unregistered and unidentified group, which does not even have a roof anywhere in the world, was to tarnish the good reputation of the transparent and accountable leadership of the institute under the watch of Dr. Babangida Abubakar Albaba.

The faceless organisation dubiously claimed it has an office at Mangal Plaza along Yahaya Madaki Way, but after thorough investigation, it was discovered that no such office in the said plaza or anywhere in the ancient city.

Sadly, an organisation which claims to be creating public awareness on government activities ought to have been duly registered with the relevant government agencies before indulging in any activity, but this is not the case with the 'Katsina Watch'.

However, their deficiency in knowing the widely acceptable leadership wisdom and numerous achievements of Dr. Albaba might have led the faceless group to such an illicit and sponsored article, which did not in any way reflect the true picture of the Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management (KSITM).

Credible investigation revealed that two  staffs of the institute who are against the unwavering commitment and achievements of the Rector (Albaba) are the brains behind the faceless organisation's article for their self-fish interests.

The  staffs whose names may  soon be made available to the public, singlehandedly sponsored the baseless article because of their hopeless desire to occupy key office positions in the institution despite being the beneficiaries of Dr. Albaba's humanitarian gesture for years.

One of the  staff behind the fraudulent act is seeking for an office position in the institution but lacks requisite  qualification to occupy such a position and want use  blackmail to get it.

Similarly, the second masterminder of the article  wanted  Dr. Albaba to heinously dismiss another committed staff of the institution so that he can take over his office, but the Rector fully armed with the principles of rule of law, vehemently refused hence the manifestation of the faceless group.

Nonetheless, these office-seeking staff of the KSITM who have succeeded in recruiting a presumed innocent staff into their camp, were once investigated over alleged fraudulent activities in the institute and found wanting by a panel inaugurated.

Therefore, how can these disparagers who have been investigated and found culpable masquerade themselves under the incognito group to accuse Dr. Albaba of "DIVERSION/CONVERSION OF THE INSTITUTE IGR ACCOUNT INTO PRIVATE AND PERSONAL BUSINESS AFFAIRS"? 

For the avoidance of doubt and to further educate the belittlers, the institute has its internal and external financial control mechanism frequently supervised by qualified and experienced auditors who brief the state government on its yearly financial activities.

Dr. Albaba's accountability and prudence management of the institute's resources led to the increase in its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N5,570, 244.88 in 2016 to N22,877,783.15 in 2020. So, where on earth did he diverted the IGR account of the school to his personal business affairs? 

Thus, it is pertinent to challenge the faceless 'Katsina Watch' and its sponsors or accomplices to make public the evidences on how the Rector converted the institution's account into his personal business affairs.

It is blackmailing and laughable for the group to also mention "ILLEGAL ALLOCATION AND DELIBERATE SALE OF THE INSTITUTE GUEST HOUSE AT SARDAUNA HOUSING ESTATE”, because all the five houses allocated to the institute in 2015 by the Katsina State Housing Authority were allocated to staff based on the criteria given by the then government to the staff of the institution.

But the group and its sponsors singled out the one allocated to the Rector seemingly because they want to blackmail the silent achiever who has transformed the hitherto mono-technic institution to a full-fledged polytechnic.

Another fictitious claim by the group is that the Rector DID NOT ADVERTISED THE VACANT POSITIONS OF REGISTRAR AND LIBRARIAN. These vacant positions have been advertised on the institute's verified website but the incognito group and their guarantors chiefly feigned ignorance of the announcement for their egotistical gains.

For your information, Dr. Albaba whose leadership is anchored on democratic principles and rule of law, will not frustrate the domestication of the five-year single tenure policy for principal officers of the KSITM as fabricated in your spurious and self-centred article.

Also, your dubious findings which asserted that "the Rector and the Bursar are partners in carrying out financial mismanagement and currently devising ways of cornering the forthcoming TETFUND interventions", is nothing but an egomaniacal tissues of fallacies concocted by you in accordance with the directive of your paymasters.

How can Dr. Albaba who initiated and brought the TETFUND funding into the institute devised ways of cornering the forthcoming TETFUND interventions? It is not possible because as a complete gentleman and a seasoned academician, the Rector is poised to bring more developmental projects to the institution.

Secondly, TETFUND is not a dubious agency like the faceless 'Katsina Watch'. Therefore, it does not share the Federal Government resources to individuals as pointed out by the writer, rather the organisation injects the funds on meaningful projects in tertiary institutions across the country.

Encircled with liars and blackmailers, the writer ignorantly fails to highlight numerous achievements of the Rector which had transformed the institution from its moribund statue to a first-class institute that can be favourably compete with any institution in Nigeria.

On resumption of office as the Rector of the Institute in 2017, Dr. Albaba created a five-year Action Plan, which made a giant stride in maximising and ensuring judicious utilisation of existing assets and resources with impactful achievements.
He began by change of laws which established the institution to have a national recognition and standard. 

He ensured the full accreditations of the three existing NID programmes (i.e NSS, CSE and BOP) that he met in 2017. And  now the institution has 13 accredited programmes by NBTE.
His quest for transformation birthed the amendment of the Institute’s Law by the State Government in pursuant to the attainment of the requirements for TETFUND intervention.

The Rector also established a registered consultancy company (KSI Labs) in 2017 for revenue generation in the Institute and IT Technical Support Unit in the Institute in 2017. The first-of-kind unit is saddled with the responsibilities of deployment, repairing and maintaining all the ICT infrastructure in the Institute.

He repaired 62 out of 70 available computers, broken desks and chairs in the two computer laboratories within his first three months in office. Worthy of praise is the payments of inherited liabilities of N9 million and the relocation of the school from its temporary site to the permanent site in October, 2018.
Since its relocation to its permanent site, the institution is being operating on generator without connecting to National grid of electricity. Which is very expensive.
All these is through the hardwork of collective leadership of Dr Albaba.

In his magnanimity to enhance effective and efficient learning, Dr. Albaba, in collaboration with NITDA, established an ICT innovation hub in the institution. He furnished the institute’s e-library with 110 computers, desks, chairs, books and millions of e-resources (subscribed and unsubscribed).

To tackle the health needs of the students, the Rector had furnished the four wards, offices, laboratory and pharmacy of the institute's clinic with modern facilities and health related consumables.

He recruited an additional 88 staff which has significantly addressed the manpower shortage in the institution. He sponsored two PhDs and eight Masters programmes for study fellowship to the academic staff, while four bursary and audit staff were sponsored and obtained professional certifications (ANAN).

Under the staff training and development programme, the Albaba-led management had sponsored 14 academic staff to acquire higher degrees (masters and PhDs). So, how can he manipulate the recruitment of the principal officers as insinuated by the writer? No!

Dr. Albaba can not contrave NBTE guidelines in the recruitment of the institution's principal officers. Therefore, all the allegations raised in the article by the handsomely rewarded writer are tissues of lies from the pit of hell.

Accordingly, the pit of hell which is literally defined as a place or state of eternal punishment of the wicked after death, with satan as its permanent ruler, the fallacies of the faceless 'Katsina Watch' and its sponsors should not be taken into consideration by the government or the general public on this earth.
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