11 months after, FG yet to reconstitute varsity governing councils

The federal government has not reconstituted the governing councils of federal universities 11 months after they were dissolved.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu in June last year dissolved the councils and transferred the power to supervise the institutions to the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The absence of the governing councils is said to be generating ripples in some institutions, especially over appointment of vice chancellors, as well as recruitment of principal officials and promotion of staff.

Recently, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) tackled the management of the University of Abuja (Uniabuja) for advertising the post of vice chancellor as the incumbent was rounding up his tenure.

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ASUU argued that the act establishing the institution empowered only the governing council to advertise the position, but the management said it got the nod of the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, to do so.

The union, last Thursday, declared an indefinite strike over the issue and others bordering on promotion and recruitment, as well as lack of elections for positions of dean and registrar, which it said were supposed to be done and approved by the council.

The UniAbuja Chairman of ASUU, Dr Sylvester Ugoh, told Daily Trust that the federal government’s “failure to appoint a governing council is affecting the university system tremendously and has worsened the situation in all the federal universities in Nigeria.

“Our call is that the federal government should expedite action to bring the governing councils as soon as possible before it gets so bad in the universities.

“The governing councils conduct the checks and balances in universities, and when they are not there, things don’t go well.”

Similarly, the ASUU in the University of Maiduguri; Usman Dan fodiyo University, Sokoto; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi and others, kicked against advertisements for the positions of their vice chancellors. The Chairman of ASUU at the University of Maiduguri, Dr Abubakar Saidu, described the advertorial for the vice chancellor’s position as unacceptable as it was placed by the university’s management board in the absence of a governing council.

Saidu said, “The ASUU at the University of Maiduguri is criticising the federal government’s dissolution of all governing councils in the federal universities. ASUU UNIMAID expresses concern that the government’s action threatens transparency, equity and merit-based selection in choosing university leaders.

“The recent advertisement for the vice chancellor position at the University of Maiduguri is highlighted as an example. It was authorised by the Minister of Education, bypassing proper procedures, and raising doubts about the process’ fairness and legality.”

Registrars urge reconstitution of councils

Also, the Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU) has called on the federal government to immediately reconstitute the governing councils of the universities.

The association, in a communiqué issued on Wednesday at the end of its second workshop and 75th business meeting held in Abuja, signed by its Chairman, Ife Oluwole; and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yakubu Ayuba; advised the government against dissolving the governing councils of universities before the expiration of their statutory tenures.

It noted that some federal universities in the country had not been able to function optimally for the last one year following the dissolution of their governing councils.

The association, therefore, called on the government to immediately reconstitute the councils.

Dons speak

Speaking to Daily Trust, the vice chancellor of one of the federal universities in the North East, who preferred anonymity, said, “One thing I can tell you is that the absence of governing councils is affecting the system because many things like appointments and promotions are delayed.

“Just know that without the councils, the universities are slowed in their routines.”

The Director of the Ibrahim Usman Jibril Institute for the Built Environment at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Professor Nasiru Medugu, in an interview with Daily Trust, also faulted the dissolution of the governing councils.

He said, “You may wish to recall that this same government approved the autonomy of federal universities last year but went ahead and dissolved the governing councils of all federal tertiary institutions in the country.

“If you want to dissolve the governing councils, as the government has power to do that, make sure you constitute new ones immediately without leaving any vacuum that may lead to crises in our tertiary institutions as we have today.”

Idris noted that without governing councils, university activities such as appointment of principal officers and promotion of staff would be affected, adding that, “There will also be cases of misconduct, among others.

“Today, so many universities in Nigeria are without substantive vice chancellors because of the absence of governing councils.”

He, therefore, asked the federal government to immediately constitute new governing councils of all federal tertiary institutions in the country “for effective and smooth running of our institutions.”

When contacted yesterday on when the government would reconstitute the governing councils of the universities, the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, asked Daily Trust to write to the ministry for proper briefing.

She later sent a WhatsApp message which reads: “The list of reconstituted councils/boards of all federal tertiary education institutions will be released shortly.”

The Special Adviser (SA) to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, declined to comment on the situation.

But sources told Daily Trust that the list had been compiled long ago.

A source said, “There are many interests around the matter, but then, the list has been compiled and is still at the presidency.”

List of appointees on president’s table – Official

A highly placed official in the presidency, who asked not to be named, told Daily Trust last night that the Ministry of Education had submitted to the president a list of appointees for the governing councils.

He said, “The governing councils of federal universities will be constituted. Some weeks ago, the Ministry of Education submitted a list. It will surely be done.”