Chuks Okocha in Abuja
In a bid to avert fresh industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointments of 55 people to the governing boards of federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education
The academic union, last Tuesday, threatened to embark on another nationwide industrial action to protest the absence of governing councils in all federal universities across the country, among other issues the government was yet to address.
Among those appointed are the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Yayale Ahmed; former governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda; son of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Mohammed; and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega and 551 others.
Also appointed are Senator Udo Udoma as Chairman and Pro-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaira; Mr. Wole Olanipekun (SAN), as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos; former governor of Bauchi State as the Pro-Chancellor of University of Calabar; and Chief Joe Kyari Gadzama is the Chairman and Pro-Chancellor of University of Uyo.
The appointments followed Tinubu’s approval of a list of nominees selected by the Ministry of Education.
In an advertorial by the Federal Ministry of Education, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack said the 555 persons will serve as Pro-Chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards of 111 federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
The advertorial revealed the appointment of a chairperson and four members for each of the institutions.
According to the advertisement, the governing councils’ inauguration and retreat will be held on May 30 and 31 at the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) headquarters.
President Tinubu in June last year dissolved the councils and transferred the power to supervise the institutions to the Federal Ministry of Education and the NUC.
The absence of governing councils had caused worry in several institutions since it had hampered the nomination of vice-chancellors, the recruitment of important officials, and the promotion of personnel.
ASUU had asked Nigerians to hold the government responsible for any decision it would take to protest the government’s refusal to appoint the governing councils.
President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja, said the union rejected all the “ongoing illegalities and flagrant violation of university autonomy in public universities as a result of non-reinstatement/reconstitution of governing councils.”
Osodeke also insisted that Nigerians must hold the federal and state governments responsible if the matter of governing councils was allowed to degenerate into an avoidable industrial crisis.
“The NEC observed with dismay the continued erosion of autonomy of public universities, contrary to the provisions of the Universities Miscellaneous Act (1993, 2012).”
He added: “The illegal dissolution of Governing Councils by the Tinubu government and many state governments has paved the way for all manner of illegalities in the Nigerian university system.
“University administrations now place advertisements for the appointment of Vice-Chancellor without authorisation from the appropriate quarters – the governing councils.
“Outgoing vice-chancellors, working in cahoots with the federal and state ministries of education, are illegally running the universities daily.
“They routinely usurp the powers of governing councils to recruit and discipline staff as well as manage university finances in manners bereft of transparency and accountability,” he reportedly added.
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