The legitimacy of the recent appointment of Mr. Loghomtukkum Collins Damak as Acting Director of Works at the College of Education (COE) Gindiri has been taken to court, sparking fresh controversy within the institution.
The case, filed under suit number NICN/ABJ/245/2025 at the National Industrial Court, Abuja Judicial Division, was set to begin hearing on Thursday but was unexpectedly transferred to the Jos Division. No new date has yet been fixed for proceedings.
The appointment, approved by Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, and conveyed in a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Samuel Jatau, announced a new leadership team for the college. The appointments included Professor Lazarus Maigoro as Provost, Abdullahi Babangida Abdullahi as Registrar, Felix Daflip as Bursar, and Loghomtukkum Collins Damak as Acting Director of Works, with immediate effect.
According to the state government, the move was part of efforts to revamp Plateau’s education sector and strengthen governance in tertiary institutions. However, the appointment of Damak has been strongly contested, with critics alleging he neither applied for nor attended the advertised interview process for the position published in May 2025.
The legal challenge was initiated by Barr. Mohammed Idris Kannam, an applicant for the post of Director of Works. He is seeking a nullification of the appointment and a fresh recruitment exercise. He has since been joined by the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) COE Gindiri chapter, and five other applicants and concerned citizens.
Those listed as respondents in the case include:
Mr. Loghomtukkum Collins Damak (Acting Director of Works)
The Chairperson, Governing Council, COE Gindiri
Prof. Lazarus Maigoro (Provost, COE Gindiri)
Plateau State Government
Speaking to journalists at the court premises, Barr. Kannam expressed disappointment over the sudden transfer of the case to Jos without prior notice but noted that such jurisdictional transfers were not unusual.
“This case emanated from the advertised vacancies, one of which was for Director of Works. Mr. Damak neither applied nor attended the interview, yet he was appointed from nowhere. As a citizen and activist, I felt there was foul play, and it was important to challenge it,” he said.
He added that although he initially filed the case alone, the support of unions and staff from the college demonstrated widespread concern over what they describe as a breach of due process.
In a related development, the Joint Union of Plateau State Tertiary Institutions, COE Gindiri Chapter, in a letter dated August 2025, raised concerns over the appointments. While congratulating the new management team, the unions questioned the decision to appoint an Acting Director of Works after a rigorous process of advertisement, shortlisting, and interviews.
“If the candidate was not suitable for substantive appointment, he should not have been appointed at all. We therefore demand that the appointment be withdrawn and the position re-advertised,” the unions stated.
They also criticized the appointment of a new Registrar, despite two qualified Deputy Registrars from within the institution who had applied and attended the interview.
The unions warned that failure to address these concerns could undermine industrial peace and harmony at the college.
The matter is now expected to be heard in Jos, where stakeholders will await the court’s ruling on whether the appointment of the Acting Director of Works stands or a new recruitment process will be ordered.
