Why did Abba Anwar, spokesman for Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, rush to announce that East Carolina University (ECU), USA, had appointed the governor as a visiting full professor of e-governance and international affairs?

Perhaps he was eager to get good publicity for his boss. He may have thought it was a chance to flaunt the governor’s importance.

But could he have publicised the appointment without Ganduje’s approval? That’s unlikely. So the governor was probably aware that his spokesman was going to release the information.

Anwar had quoted the appointment letter dated November 30, which said “Ganduje’s choice is a depiction of close monitoring of his achievements as a governor in the last couple of years.”

”You have been a source of motivation to the Nigerian youths both at home and in the diaspora at large. We are amazed at your accomplishments both as the Executive Governor of Kano State, Nigeria, Fellow National Association of Educational Administration and Planning, Nigeria, and your investment in Human Capital Development,” the letter added.

Based on the appointment, Ganduje would be expected to mentor PhD students, junior lecturers at the institution and also advise the institution’s research centre on academic issues related to e-governance and international affairs.

But Ganduje was re-elected for another four-year term last year, which will end in 2023. He is expected to concentrate on developing Kano State. Could he have managed to play the role of governor and visiting professor at the same time?

Perhaps he should have contacted the university to explain the situation and how difficult it would be for him to perform both roles at the same time. That would have saved him from embarrassment following the university’s denial of the appointment offer.

The university’s Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr Grant Hayes, in a December 4 letter to Ganduje, said Dr Victor Mbarika who had signed the appointment letter did not have the authority to make such an offer. It is unclear why Mbarika sent such a letter to Ganduje when he lacked the authority to do so. The university should sanction Mbarika. Ganduje is embarrassed. But he could have avoided embarrassment. The Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, wants Mbarika punished for embarrassing the governor. He claimed the university appointment was unsolicited. There is a need for clarity.

This mess is bad for Ganduje’s image. He could have avoided the mess if he had been more focused on governance and less interested in distractions.