Karl Kumm University brouhaha Let the Truth be Told

Karl Kumm University brouhaha Let the Truth be Told

By Concern Citizen

Following the latest unfolding development in Karl Kumm University (KKU) especially as it relates to the needless lingering crisis over the appointment of Registrar for the University. It is quite shameful that the crisis could not be cautiously managed at its infant stage and allowing it to grow to the point that the regulatory body, National Universities Commission (NUC) would have to wield the big stick through the suspension of the operational licence. Does it mean there are no worthy men and women that can make contribution to the fair resolution of the dispute between the host community and the University? Who gains from this on going crisis? In any case, may I express my profound and heartfelt respect and admiration for the decision making organs of the University for displaying exemplary and strategic sense of leadership targeted at building a globally competitive KKU.  I am particularly impressed with their strength of character and conviction. It is their unyielding insistence on upholding the long standing values and principles driving universities globally, that has pitched the infant University against some sectional interests holding it by the jugular. I was taken aback on Sunday 15th August, 2021 during service when the President of COCIN, Rev. Professor Dachollom C. Datiri made a biased and jaundiced presentation on the lingering crisis in KKU. He claimed to be doing the presentation on behalf of the Executive Council (EC) of the Church but the style of presentation betrayed him as he kept using first person singular, I. As I listened attentively to the presentation, I could spot some inaccuracies and blatant lies. These include the following:

I. The claim that the EC Fact Finding Committee did not find anything indicting Mr. Daniel Dung Kim, whom he erroneously referred to as 'Dr' Daniel Dung Kim, only confirms his poor understanding of what constitutes an indictment. May be the President was expecting to see in the Report of the NUC Fact-Finding Panel of 2015 statement such as, Mr. Daniel Dung Kim is hereby indicted.  Anyone reading the NUC Report can easily make deduction. On page 52 of the Report, it is explicitly stated that "a Registrar who defies Senate and manipulates its records and is insubordinate to the VC and thrives in deadly intrigue can never be a competent Registrar". The President found this section of the Report a landmine and skilfully skipped it. I challenge the President to confirm or deny not coming across this in his reading of the Report. This is an explicit indictment of Mr. Daniel Dung Kim, the then Registrar of Pateau State University, Bokkos. NUC is the regulatory agency that oversights all universities in Nigeria. If this weighty finding of NUC is ignored in the appointment of a Registrar for the University, how can the University defend this? May I ask the President a simple question: if he were to recruit new pastors for the Church he is superintending and he comes across this in respect of a particular candidate, would he ignore this weighty assessment? 

Ii. Mr Daniel Dung Kim retired from the service of College of Education Gindiri on 30th June, 2021 and had been paid his gratuity and is on pension. This, he failed to disclose about himself when he appeared before the interview panel. His dubious failure to make this disclosure misled the Committee into earmarking him for a tenure appointment instead of contract appointment. It may interest the public to note that this was one of the reasons for his indictment by the Governing Council of PLASU in 2015 leading to his resignation with effect from 10th September, 2015. 

Iii. The claim that Mr Daniel Dung Kim's appointment as Registrar of KKU was withdrawn on account of phone call and SMS is to say the least, being economical with the truth. Even more disturbing is the President's claim that it was said there are many Berom in the Governing Council. This can best be described as the figment of imagination of the President who is finding it extremely difficult to detach himself from the crisis to enable him play the role of an impartial mediator in the situation. This is inconsistent with the status of the President as the number one citizen of the COCIN. If this, as he claimed, were the consideration for dropping Mr Daniel Dung Kim as the earmarked Registrar of KKU,  would he have been hunted for to attend the interview for Registrarship? The truth cannot be submerged by the tissue of lies. 

Iv. The claim that a politician interested in 2023 election went to NUC to influence the decision to suspend the operational licence of KKU is quite disturbing. Why did the President not mention the name of the politician in question? How did he arrive at this conclusion? Or was he simply declaring before the congregation, his ambition to contest 2023 election? I expect the President to be bold enough to mention the politician's name before the congregation. 

The truth must be told that KKU University cannot be built on the foundation of falsehood, emotional outburst, treacherous and unethical tendencies. The Motto of KKU is "Knowledge, Character and Service". A man with defective and flawed moral character such as Mr Daniel Dung Kim cannot contribute to building  strong and ethically sound character of students of KKU. The esteemed members of COCIN worldwide must be wary of the landmines to be laid by some interests insisting on the choice of a man whose character has been heavily indicted by both the Governing Council of PLASU and the NUC, the regulator of KKU. The truth must be told that the President has undoubtedly become an interested party in the lingering crisis and is unable to facilitate the resolution of the dispute. 

KKU as the President has correctly noted, is God's project and must be driven by the values of truth, integrity, honesty and strong sense of ethics. See below the full report of the Fact Finding Committee of the Governing Council of KKU which formed the basis of withdrawing Mr Daniel Dung Kim as the earmarked Registrar of KKU and the appointment of Dr. Rejoice Songden James as Acting Registrar. She is a young, resourceful and productive worker with immense experience having risen through the rank to become Deputy Registrar and a proud PhD holder. Esteemed members of COCIN worldwide, let's be careful in nurturing KKU by ensuring that the University is built on a solid and credible foundation. It is unfortunate that those who contributed financially and morally to take the University to this stage are the targets of attack by certain sectional interests. Even God will not be pleased by this show of ingratitude. The President must free himself from the encumbrances of being an interested party in the crisis threatening to truncate the long standing dream of over 8million members of the Church worldwide. May we be guided by the Holy Spirit to submit to His supreme will as KKU leaps frog in establishing itself as a world class citadel of learning. Shalom.

REPORT OF KARL KUMM UNIVERSITY GOVERNING COUNCIL FACT FINDING COMMITTEEE ON MR KIM DANIEL DUNG 

Preamble

Following the appointment of Principal Officers of Karl Kumm University Vom, at a joint meeting of the Board of Trustees and the Governing Council held on 13th May, 2021, Mr. Kim Daniel Dung was nominated Registrar. On 12th May, 2021, an emergency meeting of Council was summoned to discuss a matter arising from the nomination which bothered on allegations of non-disclosure either in his CV or during the interview, some vital information about his status of engagements/dis-engagements from his former employments. Council set up a fact finding Committee to provide useful information and relevant documents to guide its decision on the matter. 

Terms of Reference 

To investigate the issue relating to the employment records of Mr. Kim Daniel Dung with particular refence to his employment records in Collage of Education Gindiri, Plateau State University Bokkos and TCNN Bukuru.

To verify the circumstances surrounding his departure from Plateau State University.

To carry out any other related matter.

The Committee was given up to Thursday 20th May, 2021 to submit its report.

Methodology

The Committee adopted the following methods in carrying out the assignment:

Meetings which held on 15th May, 2021 at KKU, 19th May, 2021 at COCIN Headquarters Boardroom, Jos and 21st May, 2021 at COCIN Headquarters Church Boardroom, Jos. (Appendix 1)

Letters of request were written to his former employers; Plateau State University, Bokkos and College of Education Gindiri, to provide relevant information and documents relating to Mr. Kim. (Appendix 2 & 3).

Interaction with Mr. Kim on 19th May, 2021 at COCIN Headquarter Church Boardroom. (Invitation-Appendix 4).

Studied relevant documents made available to the committee.

Findings

Information and documents were obtained from PLASU (Appendix 5) and CoE Gindiri (Appendix 6 and attachments).

ToR 1: Records of Employment of Mr. Kim Daniel Dung

Mr kim was a staff of CoE Gindiri between 10th August, 2001 and 30th June, 2014.

During the period of his engagement in CoE Gindiri, he was appointed Registrar for a period of five(5) years in the first instance.

He was appointed Registrar in PLASU on 1st March, 2013 for a period of five years

Mr Kim applied for leave of absence from CoE Gindiri and approval given with effect from 1st March,2013.

Approval for leave of absence was also granted by Plateau State Ministry of Education

Mr Kim voluntarily retired from the service of CoE Gindiri on 30th June, 2014, while in the service of PLASU as Registrar.

CoE Gindiri accepted his voluntary retirement with effect from 30th June, 2014.

On 21st Nov,2014, Mr. Kim wrote to CoE Gindiri conveying his decision to withdraw his letter of voluntary retirement, and that he wished to resume duty in the College at the expiration of his leave of absence at PLASU,Bokkos

Mr Kim has been paid his gratuity by CoE and he is on pension.

While in PLASU, based on some indictments, Mr Kim opted to voluntarily resign his appointment as Registrar. His resignation was accepted by the Governing Council with effect from 10th Sep, 2015.

Two days after submitting his resignation letter and Council accepting same, Mr Kim wrote to the University, requesting to withdraw the letter of resignation. It was not accepted by Council.

The refusal of the University to allow Mr Kim withdraw his letter of resignation led to him filling a court case against the University in 2015.

The case, with case number NICN/JOS/38/2015 is still on-going in the Jos Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court.

ToR 2: Circumstances Surrounding his Departure from PLASU

Mr Kim had a smooth working relationship with other Principal Officers until sometime in 2014 when there was disharmony between him and the Vice Chancellor.

The disharmony led to the suspension of the VC by the then Visitor to the University.

Consequent upon the suspension of the VC, the NUC intervened by setting up a panel of inquiry to look into the circumstances that led to the Suspension of the VC.

Report of the NUC panel was forwarded to the University and the Visitor, and later to the reconstituted Governing Council for consideration and necessary action.

The Governing Council considered the indictment components of the NUC report which included: insubordination, non-disclosure of retirement status from CoE Gindiri, disregard for authority and non-adherence to established University communication procedures with the Governing Council, etc.

Based on this indictment, Mr. Kim was given three options by the Governing Council to consider and accept:

Termination of his appointment.

Suspension from duty for gross misconduct and setting up an independent disciplinary committee to consider the case against him in accordance with the University Law.

To resign his appointment as Registrar of the University after confronting him with reasons why Council would like to remove him from office in accordance with the enabling law.

Mr. Kim chose to voluntarily resign his appointment as Registrar of the University, which was accepted by Council with effect from 10th Sep, 2015.

This Committee interacted with Mr. Kim. He verbally, and later in writing, chronicled his own version of the circumstances that led to his forceful resignation as Registrar of PLASU. (Appendix VI).

He summarized the circumstances of his forceful resignation as lack of due process, gross violation of University laws and politically motivated.

ToR 3: Any Other Related Matter

Members of the Committee

Prof. Nuhu Dakum             Chairman -------------------------

Prof. Gyang D. Pam Member -------------------------

Prof. Mariam D.Solomon Secretary -------------------------