By Tony Yayo
The Principal of Eastern Polytechnic College, Professor Mohamed T. Lahai, has been sacked by the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education, just six months into his second term of office. The letter was conveyed to him recently during a feasibility tour of the University by officials from the MTHE.
It could be recalled that, on the 16th October 2019, the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education confirmed the reappointment of Professor Mohamed T. Lahai to serve his second term as principal of Eastern Polytechnic, which, according to the letter, “You would recall that it pleases the Minister of Technical and Higher Education to approve your appointment as Principal for the second term with a seventeen points terms of reference in July, 2018.
Your annual assessment reveals that your performance in relation to your terms of reference from July 2018 to July 2019 was remarkably exemplary. In view of the foregoing it has again pleased the Minister of Technical and Higher Education to now approve the extension of your appointment as Principal, Eastern Polytechnic for a duration of one term as per the Polytechnic Act of 2001. That is, from October 2018 to October 2022.” Unfortunately, a letter dated 27th March 2020 singed by Gilbert A. Cooper, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education was given to Professor Mohamed T. Lahai in a meeting with officials from The Tertiary Education Commission that came on a feasibility study for granting Eastern Polytechnic university status.
“I write with reference to the above subject and to inform you that the Minister of Technical and Higher Education is constrained to relieve you of the duties of Principal, Eastern Polytechnic, with immediate effect”.
The sack letter stated that, according to part 5 subsection 10 (1) of Polytechnic Act 2001, a polytechnic institution shall have a Principal who shall be a person of high academic distinction, appointed by the minister on the advice of the Council.
According to one of the lecturers at the Polytechnic, Aruna Joseph, the issue is a controversial one as the Principal was sacked without any justifiable reasons.