The Academic Staff Union Of Nigerian Universities, ASUU, has called on President Bola Tinubu, the Education minister and all other relevant authorities to immediately reconstitute the Governing Councils of Public Universities in the country earlier dissolved by the federal Government.
This is even as the umbrella body of Nigerian academics has kicked against the recent advertisement of the vacant of position the Vice Chancellor and other principal officers of the Uthman Danfodio University UDUS Sokoto ,insisting that the decision by the federal Government to jettison the miscellaneous provisions in the University administration System greatly undermines the essential doctrines of transparency, equity ,and merit-based selection of University Principal officers .
In a statement issued on Friday April12,2024 by Professor Nurudeen Al Mustapha and Dr Shu’aibu, Sadiku ASUU – UDUS Chairman and Secretary respectively, ASUU faulted the dissolution of the University’s Governing Council and those of others in 2023 on the grounds that the action negates established procedures and autonomy status of the institutions.
It will be recalled that in June 2023 ,the Federal Government had dissolved the Governing Councils of all Federal Universities ,along side the Boards of most parastatals .
The UDUS chapter of ASUU said the decision of the authorities to advertise the vacant positions of the Institution’s principal officers in the absence of a Governing Council violates extant laws and procedures, adding that it also threatens the university autonomy .
“The unauthorized advertisement of vacancies for the offices of the Vice Chancellors and other Principal Officers in the federal universities violates proper procedures and threatens the integrity and academic freedom of Nigerian public Universities .
It flagrantly violates the provisions of section 111, subsection 1and 2 of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 1993 ” the statement noted .
Further picking holes in the decision to dissolve the Universities Governing Councils across the country, ASUU-UDUS asserted that there are existing procedures to follow in embarking on such exercises.
“The law also prescribes the protocol to follow, in the event of Governing Councils absence ,particularly regarding the appointments of principal officers .
At no point does the law transfer the Councils’ functions to the Minister and or the Visitor” ASUU stated.
