The Nation Newspaper Storm over absence of Governing Councils in varsities
There have been agitations by stakeholders to save the university system from deterioration, owing to lack of appointment of the governing councils of Federal universities.
Seven months ago, the Federal Government said it would soon reconstitute the governing boards of the universities to reinvigorate them. Speaking at the 27th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Abuja, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Zephaniah Jisalo, who represented President Bola Tinubu, indicated that the president said the incoming boards would prioritise the implementation of the reports of various visitation panels in the universities.
Chairman of UniAbuja ASUU Branch, Sylvanus Ugoh, said in a communique issued after the congress that the trustees and principal officers in the union’s national leadership have permitted the branch to proceed on an indefinite strike until the demands are addressed. Ugoh said recruitment without due process should be stopped until the governing council is reconstituted.
“The government’s unauthorised advertising of vacancies for the offices of Vice Chancellors and other Principal Officers in federal universities also violates proper procedures and threatens the integrity and academic freedom of Nigeria’s public universities, which flagrantly violates Section 3, subsections 1 and 2 of the Universities Act 1993 .
“In all the federal universities, there is no governing council, they were dissolved September 2023, and it is like a deliberate action. Any decision taken by the VC or anyone now is illegal, the university cannot function properly because you need a council to award contracts, conduct employment and other major decisions, but the government seems not to be interested in forming any council.
They called on President Bola Tinubu to show a worthy example in conformity with the extant laws of the constitution, stating that the present situation where presidential powers are being used to usurp the powers of the university system should be urgently reversed. The COCSON National President, Obiora Chidozie, stated that the university system is currently left hanging without a head and has been subjected to political dictates.
“The university system in virtually all countries of the world is considered one of the most valuable national institutions. The Nigerian university system has been plagued with tremendous challenges. Across the world, universities are autonomous; they operate where ideas are not clobbered and restricted, but are made to flourish as a place where ideas are allowed to thrive without hindrance.
Intersociety regretted that following the unilateral dissolution of Boards and Councils of Federal Agencies, Parastatals and Institutions, including the Governing Councils/Boards of all Federal Government-controlled Degree Awarding Institutions, the 203 degree awarding institutions, have remained without “duly constituted Governing Councils”.
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