There seems to be a stalemate at the University of Abuja over the appointment of a new vice chancellor following disagreement between the Council and some members of the Senate of the university.
A story broke out on Tuesday, saying professors were protesting over the process of selecting a new vice chancellor for the university, during which reporters from a certain media house covering the activities were manhandled and their vehicle vandalised.
Daily Trust received a report by some members of the Senate alleging that they were beaten up while going ahead with a meeting after the one earlier scheduled by the university authorities was cancelled, a claim the university denied, saying the first meeting was called by the Council, and when it was evident that the major topic of discussion would not likely be resolved, it was postponed.
Daily Trust gathered that trouble started after the federal government last week gave an order for the university to complete the processes of selecting a new vice chancellor by December 31, as the time stipulated by law for the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi, to be on the saddle will elapse on January 3, 2025.
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The order from the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, therefore put the Council on its toes to complete the processes, which informed the decision to hold the meeting yesterday.
However, there were claims that the University Council, which has two representatives from the Senate of the university, who are collectively saddled with the responsibility of selecting the new VC, allegedly selected three names out of 87 names shortlisted, from which the meeting was supposed to choose who to become the vice chancellor.
While some Senate members of the university alleged that the meeting was at the instance of the acting vice chancellor, some sources countered that saying it was the Council that called for the meeting in line with laws establishing the university.
The Senate members said they were supposed to have the meeting by 9am but it was shifted to 11:30am.
A source from the Senate said: “After shifting the meeting, members waited patiently. At 12.03pm the Deputy Vice Chancellor Admin, Professor Philip Uso Afaha, came in to tender the apologies of the Acting VC, Prof Aisha Maikudi, that the meeting had to be suspended at the request of the chairman of the council to give room for further consultations.
“Members were incensed and shouted at Afaha to go away and that the apology was not accepted. Prof. Afaha left in an unpleasant scene. Thereafter, members decided to hold a meeting to take a resolution of Senate members and forward same to the Council chairman.”
The source said Prof. Muhammad Abdullahi Katcha, who was a former deputy vice chancellor in the university, was nominated to chair the meeting and Prof. Atimga took minutes and resolution.
The source said there were no fewer than 80 Senate members.
He alleged that while the meeting was going on, the vigilante operatives in the university were allegedly unleashed on members.
“Tables and chairs were turned upside down with members falling and tumbling as they scampered for their safety,” he said.
When contacted, Professor Katcha confirmed that he presided over the meeting after his colleagues endorsed him.
He also said they had passed a vote of no confidence on the acting vice chancellor, as well as the two members from the Senate that were coopted in the Council.
“Some elderly members of the Senate were injured by the mob,” Prof. Katcha said, adding that they would pass their resolution to the Council.
Council’s resolution is based on law – Dean
However, while countering the claims of some of the Senate members, the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Abubakar Kari, who spoke to Daily Trust, denied the allegations saying the meeting was actually postponed following the absence of two of the Senate members who were supposed to be part of the meeting.
He said he was present at the meeting and left after the announcement of the postponement.
Prof. Kari said the Joint Council and Senate Selection Board comprises five members, including three Council members and two Senate members who are clearly defined to make the final selection and to be chaired by the pro-chancellor who is also the chairman of the Council.
“The two people representing the Senate now wrote a complaint of a sort alleging that the council has taken over their job. They claim that they are the ones to do the shortlisting and to set up the criteria, which is actually not correct,” he said.
He said a meeting was, therefore, rescheduled to address the issue and the two members from Senate staged a walkout that they would not do the job.
“So, the pro-chancellor now wrote a letter to the management directing them to convene a Senate meeting to replace those that staged a walkout since they don’t want to do the job.
He said with the intervention of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senate meeting was scheduled but later shifted as a result of their (ASUU) plea that they would bring back the two revolting Senate members to complete the processes.
“So they (two Senate members in the council) addressed some journalists. I don’t know who and who, but Channels (team) was part of it. And so I think it was when Channels crew were leaving, that our security people now felt offended that somebody brought in the media, so I think deflated their tyres.
“People didn’t even know that somebody addressed the press because we were inside the Senate chambers. Then we started reading on social media that professors were beaten up and that there was a problem in the university which is not true.
“Eventually, the pro-chancellor pleaded again that the meeting should not take place today (Tuesday) until Friday because ASUU is still intervening,” he said.
Prof. Kari alleged that the other side was bent on creating tension in the university.
“They don’t want a new VC to emerge until after January 3, when the time of the acting VC will elapse, so that probably, they can now manipulate and change things or whatever,” he claimed.
When Daily Trust reached out to ASUU, it said “no comment”.
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