‘ASUU: Appointment of VCs none of government’s business’

Protests greeted the recent decision of the federal government to terminate the appointments of 13 Vice Chancellors (VCs) and appoint new ones. The dismissal of the VCs was announced by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu. Hours before the sack of the VCs, the minister had reconstituted the governing councils of 12 of the […]

Protests greeted the recent decision of the federal government to terminate the appointments of 13 Vice Chancellors (VCs) and appoint new ones. The dismissal of the VCs was announced by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.
Hours before the sack of the VCs, the minister had reconstituted the governing councils of 12 of the universities involved but hasn’t inaugurated them.  The new Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Hajiya Najatu Mohammed rejected the appointment on personal grounds, saying she was caught completely unawares. The councils were inaugurated on Tuesday, barely two weeks after the appointments.
Apart from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), which had its council intact, all the universities affected were those established by the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Five of the VCs, including that of NOUN, got plenty of time to complete their tenures but the rest completed theirs 48 hours after the announcement.
NOUN VC, Professor Vincent Ado Tenebe, was replaced with Professor Abdalla Uba Adamu of the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano and the VC of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Prof. Mohammed Kundiri, was transferred to the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State.
A former Head, Department of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, was made the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State while the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State has Prof. Auwal Yadudu of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano as its new VC, Prof. Fatima Batoul Mukhtar of the Department of Biology, North West University, Kano was made the VC of Federal University, Dutse.
A lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Haruna Abdu Kaita, was appointed as the VC of Federal University, Dutsin Ma, Katsina State, while Prof. Andrew Haruna of the Department of Linguistics, University of Jos was appointed VC Federal University, Gashua, Yobe State.
Another lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, ABU, Zaria, Prof. Magaji Garba, was appointed as VC Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State; Prof. Alhassan Mohammed Gani of the Institute of Maritime Studies, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State was elevated to the position of VC in the same university.
A lecturer in the Department of Physics, Federal University, Lafia, Prof. Muhammad Sanusi Liman was made VC of same institution while Prof. Angela Freeman Miri of the Linguistics Department, UNIJOS, was sent to Federal University, Lokoja as VC.
The Federal University, Ndifu-Alike, Ebonyi State has Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba of the Post-Graduate School, Imo State University, Owerri, as VC, while Prof. Seth Accra Jaja of the Department of Management, University of Port Harcourt was appointed VC of Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State.
No sooner had the announcement of the appointments been made, than protests flared across the country, first by interest groups who issued public statements against the minister’s decision. The groups argued that government had no powers to either appoint or sack any VC; only the councils could do so.
Few days later, students under the aegis of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) protested against the dismissal of the VCs. NANS President, Tijjani Usman, who led the protest in Abuja, said the appointment of VCs can only be done by the council, adding that it was wrong to terminate the appointments of five VCs before the expiration of their tenures.
NANS said the dismissal of the Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Tenebe; Federal Universities of Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Lawal Suleiman Bilbis; Gashua, Prof. Shehu Abdulrahman; Gusau, Prof. Ben Chuks Okeke; and Oye-Ekiti, Prof. Isaac Azuzu from work was unfair and an abuse of due process.
Some vehicles were damaged during the protest while police tear gassed and arrested some students.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was the next in protesting against the government’s decision. National President of ASUU, Dr. Nasir F. Isa, while addressing a media conference in Abuja, said the appointment of VCs was none of government’s business.  He said ASUU received the news of the removal of VCs from office by the government with concerns because of its “implications for the due process, university autonomy and the growth of Nigerian universities.”
ASUU said in the appointment of a VC, council only selects VC and informs the Visitor.
Isa said, “As clearly spelt out in the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2003, 4(b): The council shall select and appoint as the vice-chancellor one candidate from among the three candidates recommended to it and thereby inform the Visitor,” Furthermore, “the vice-chancellor can be removed from office by the governing council on grounds of his or her conduct or inability to discharge the functions of his office as a result of infirmity of the body or mind, at the initiative of the council, Senate or the congregation after due process, 4(c).”
The government had been firm on the decision and hasn’t made further clarification.