4 weeks ago
12
By Marie-Therese Nanlong
Jos – Many years ago, erstwhile a conveyance belonging to Professor Joash Amupitan’s woman was stolen, helium did not springiness up. His persistence saw the car traced crossed borders, from Jos, Plateau State, to Mali, done a painstaking probe involving the Nigeria Police and Interpol.
The conveyance was yet recovered and returned to him astatine the Police Headquarters successful Jos. For those who cognize him, this singular incidental captures the essence of his life, 1 marked by resilience, perseverance, and integrity.
That aforesaid resilience, colleagues say, defines the antheral who is present appointed to pb Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Following his information and confirmation by the National Council of State, reactions person trailed Amupitan’s appointment, with galore expressing assurance that his tenure volition bring credibility and betterment to Nigeria’s electoral process.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State described him arsenic “a towering intellectual, a patriotic Nigerian, and a detribalised person whose contributions person importantly shaped bully governance and antiauthoritarian growth.”
He commended President Bola Tinubu for recognising merit successful appointing Amupitan, noting that the prime “reflects capableness and dedication to nationalist service.”
Within the University of Jos, wherever Amupitan serves arsenic Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), his colleagues are elated.
Professor Thomas Oyelami, a long-time friend, recalled, “I met him successful our LLM people successful 1990. He was the youngest but the astir hardworking and intelligent. He is precise dogged and volition ever travel done until a extremity is achieved.”
Professor Chentu Dauda, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, echoed this view, saying, “He has been fixed a well-deserved appointment. Nigerians tin spell to furniture with some eyes closed due to the fact that of his integrity. He became a DVC due to the fact that of his antecedents, ever lasting for what is right. I judge helium volition bash his champion with the spot fixed to him.”
Another colleague, Professor Taye Obateru of the Mass Communication Department, described him arsenic “humble, hardworking, and straightforward,” adding that, “He has immense ineligible experience, combining world and applicable perspectives. If allowed to enactment freely, Nigerians volition consciousness the interaction of INEC nether his leadership.”
Beyond his world brilliance and ineligible expertise, Amupitan has shown heavy committedness to reforming Nigeria’s governance structure.
At a 2021 law reappraisal hearing, helium supported the constitution of a systemic Collegiate Presidency, that is, Presidential Council with fixed 12 years tenure.
“The projected Presidential Council shall person each portion represented by an elected Vice-President that serves connected the collegiate that shall represent the halfway of the Presidency with each taking turns arsenic President successful rotational format with each idiosyncratic serving for 2 years astatine an lawsuit during the cycle.”
The model, helium argued, would trim governmental hostility and beforehand inclusivity successful leadership.
His scholarly works, specified arsenic his 2017 inaugural lecture titled “Nigerian Corporate Governance: From Concentrated Ownership to Dispersed Ownership – Which Way Forward?”, bespeak a caput passionate astir restructuring governance systems to heighten accountability and fairness.
As Professor Amupitan assumes enactment of INEC, colleagues and observers alike judge his operation of intelligence rigour, motivation uprightness, and proven resilience volition usher him successful delivering elections that genuinely bespeak the volition of the people.
The station Prof Amuptian: colleagues hail resilience of a antheral who traced wife’s stolen car to Mali, recovered it appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
English (US) ·