Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The leadership crisis at the Taraba State College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, COAST, Jalingo, has entered a decisive new phase after the state government ordered the acting rector, Alhaji Ibrahim Gimba Buba, to immediately assume full administrative control of the institution. The directive, issued on Monday, September 14, 2026, by the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mike Dio Jen, followed mounting concerns that the suspended rector, Dr. Yakubu Ali Garjila, had continued to occupy the office and exercise authority despite his suspension by the state government.
According to the directive, the acting rector is to take over the day-to-day running of the college with immediate effect. The management has also been ordered to notify all commercial banks where the college operates accounts and to effect the removal of Garjila as a signatory to those accounts. This move is intended to clarify the chain of authority at the institution and to prevent the suspended rector from continuing to exercise administrative or financial control over the college. The order is the latest in a series of actions aimed at resolving the protracted leadership dispute, which has raised concerns among staff, students, and other stakeholders.
The crisis began with Garjila's suspension by the state government, a decision that was expected to pave the way for a smooth transition. However, the suspended rector's continued presence in the office reportedly intensified the disagreement over the leadership of the institution and raised serious questions about the enforcement of the government's own directive. The acting rector, who had been appointed to hold the fort pending further resolution, found himself in a position where his authority was being openly challenged by a man who had been officially suspended. The government's latest order is designed to put an end to that ambiguity by making it clear that Garjila no longer has any legal or administrative standing at the college.
The power struggle at COAST has also drawn attention to broader issues of governance and accountability in Taraba State's tertiary education sector. The state government has been grappling with multiple crises in its educational institutions, including an indefinite strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities at Taraba State University over unpaid entitlements, and tensions at the College of Education in Zing over alleged unfair promotion practices. The COAST crisis is therefore not an isolated incident, but part of a wider pattern of institutional instability that threatens to undermine the quality of education and the morale of staff and students across the state.
For now, the acting rector, Ibrahim Gimba Buba, has been placed in a strong position to oversee the affairs of the college pending a final resolution of the dispute. But the question remains whether Garjila will comply with the directive or whether he will continue to resist, creating yet another chapter in a crisis that has already lasted far too long. The government has made its position clear, but the enforcement of that position will determine whether the crisis is finally resolved or whether it drags on, further destabilising an institution that should be focused on training the next generation of agricultural scientists and technologists.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments