A group, the College of Education Mosogar Stakeholders For Equity And Justice (CEMSFEJ), has condemned a recent advert publication by the Delta State College of Education, Mosogar, for a vacancy for the post of Provost, saying that the advertisement was craftily coined and placed to serve the secret agenda of those who published it.

A representative of the group who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, also called on the Delta State Governor, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa, the National Council of Colleges of Education (NCCE), the Delta State Ministry of Higher Education and the Governing Council of the institution to get a copy of the advert publication and review it in the interest of sanity, equity, justice and the progressive development of the college.

He also called for the total cancellation of the advertisement and the placement a new one in at least one national daily, in addition to the Pointer Newspaper belonging to the state government in compliance with NCCE guidelines.

The group, while reviewing a copy of the advert said those who placed it, has a hidden agenda if an announcement for a position of such magnitude is to close the window for intended applicants after two weeks instead of the standard window period of six weeks from the date of publication.

Another area where group faulted those who placed the advert is the omission of age limit in the said publication.

According to the group, “By the NCCE, and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) standards, the regulatory bodies as approved by the Delta State Executive Council for Colleges and Polytechnics required that for the post of a Provost/Rector, the applicant must be below sixty (60) years of age at the point of application, but the drafter of the vacancy advert deliberately jumped this criteria because of vested interest.”

The group, while calling for proper investigation by the Delta State Governor, the Ministry of Higher Education, NCCE and the Governing Council of the College also criticised the title “Reader”, saying this is not known to and recognised in the hierarchy of the College of Education, Mosogar.

The group noted that the highest known academic rank is a Chief Lecturer as obtainable in other Colleges of Education just as it said Chief Academic Officer/Chief Executive officer are not known by the law establishing the College.

It added that the presentation of inaugural lecture has never been a criterion for the appointment of a Provost in Colleges of Education in Nigeria.