Opinion • Created August 2, 2025 14:48

UniAbuja Saga And Mission Against The Law

Ayodele Olakunle When the embattled Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, contemplated the project of dragging the President Bola Tinubu Administration to inelegantly embark on an undue interference in the governance and affairs of some Nigerian universities, he may have thought that it was just a matter of dictating the instructions for compliance by […]

UniAbuja Saga And Mission Against The Law

Ayodele Olakunle

When the embattled Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, contemplated the project of dragging the President Bola Tinubu Administration to inelegantly embark on an undue interference in the governance and affairs of some Nigerian universities, he may have thought that it was just a matter of dictating the instructions for compliance by subordinate actors and agencies under his watch. With full Presidential might at his back, he would have conceived it as a straightforward mission that, even if challenged, would remain unstoppable.

But as it has now turned out, Dr. Alausa goofed in both conception and implementation of the scheme to ‘micro-manage’ the legally enabled autonomous entities. Dr. Alausa’s greatest undoing was that he did not reckon with the impossible task of fighting against ideas, in this instance, the Law. Nowhere is this self-evident truth more poignant than at the University of Abuja, which has consistently exposed the Minister’s mission.
Contrary to the provisions of the enabling laws of the institution, specifically the University of Abuja Act and the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 2003, No. 1 of 2007, otherwise known as the Autonomy Act, in early February 2025, the federal government announced the dissolution of the entire Governing Council and removal of the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University on the reported orders of President Tinubu. The internal members of the Council appointed by the University Senate and Congregation were also affected.

The government did not provide any explanation or reasons for the sweeping away of these properly constituted governing authorities. In the same announcement, the government appointed Senator Lanre Tejuoso as the new Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, and Professor Patricia Manko Lar from the University of Jos as the acting Vice-Chancellor.

However, according to Section 3, sub-section 2A of the Miscellaneous Act referred to above, the Governing Council is to have a tenure of four years from the date of its inauguration, to be dissolved only “if it is found to be incompetent and corrupt”. This has not been mentioned or established by the government to date. Again, it is not within the purview of the President as Visitor to the University to remove the internal members of the Council because they are not his appointees. Facilitating this unlawful action by the government meant that the Minister did not exercise due diligence in advising the President.

Similarly, concerning the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi should not have been removed by the President. This is because the appointment and removal of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian federal universities are now the exclusive preserve of the Governing Council.

The position of the law is unambiguous and inescapable. On appointment of the Vice-Chancellor, Section 4 (b) of the Miscellaneous Act states, thus: “The Council shall select and appoint as the Vice-Chancellor one candidate from among the candidates recommended to it under section (3) of this section and thereafter inform the Visitor”.

For removal from office, Section 4 (c) provides that “The Vice-Chancellor may be removed from office by the Governing Council on grounds of misconduct 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”.

The detailed procedures for these actions are further provided for in relevant sections of the University Act.
Furthermore, the law has strengthened the appointment of an acting Vice-Chancellor by the Governing Council, which leaves no room for ambiguity or manoeuvre. The President as Visitor has no role whatsoever to play in the matter. For the avoidance of doubt, and arising from concern with past complications in the system, the following sections of the Miscellaneous Act are germane and worthy to note: Section (12), “There shall be no sole administration in any Nigerian University”; Section (13), “In any case of a vacancy in the office of the Vice-Chancellor, the Council shall appoint an acting Vice-Chancellor on recommendation of Senate”; and Section (14), “An acting Vice-Chancellor in all circumstances shall not be in office for more than 6 months”.

Given the foregoing, the facilitation of the government-imposed leadership changes at the University of Abuja by Dr. Alausa was ill-conceived, unwarranted, and uncalled for. The University of Abuja was not the only institution affected by the unlawful actions. Others, such as Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, were also affected in varying degrees. However, the University of Abuja is the only institution that had its internal members sacked; and along with the Alvan Ikoku University, the properly appointed Vice-Chancellors were removed and replaced with imposed acting Vice-Chancellors for a six-month tenure.

Faced with mounting pressure and relentless criticisms, including intervention by the House of Representatives Committee on University Education and several other concerned groups, the Minister seems to have recently capitulated by reinstating the Vice-Chancellor of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Professor Stella Ngozi Lemchi. This was widely reported to have been a result of the implementation of the report of a ministerial fact-finding committee, which established that Professor Lemchi’s appointment was valid and in adherence to due process. The reinstated Vice-Chancellor has since resumed her work at the University.
Following this development, the crisis concerning the University of Abuja has escalated, with the Minister being perceived as an ethno-regionalist supremacist, as Professor Maikudi was not considered for reinstatement. It is difficult, if not impossible, to justify why the two ousted female vice-chancellors should be treated differently by Dr. Alausa. The two were properly appointed by their Governing Councils, unlawfully removed, and replaced with acting vice-chancellors whose tenure ends in early August. In terms of professorial eligibility, Professor Aisha attained the rank in 2021, while Professor Lemchi attained it in 2023, a two-year difference between the two academics. Hence, a growing number of people and groups in the North, with other conscientious Nigerians in general, are adamant that the Minister has completely lost the plot. Otherwise, he should be seen promoting justice, fair play, geopolitical harmony, and development within his jurisdiction as the Minister of Education.
At a time when all hands should be on deck promoting greater national integration, Dr. Alausa, with his display of power, appears to be out to reverse the gains that are being made towards overcoming the nation’s fault lines. He has to remember that actions have consequences, and he will not remain Minister of Education forever. As someone being touted to aspire to the governorship of Lagos state in the next general elections, to be exhibiting traits antithetical to justice, fairness, legality, due process, and overall, profound leadership, it will be difficult to promote his candidature with any resounding success in such a cosmopolitan and politically sophisticated state. The supremacy of the law is an uncontested territory, and the sooner it is allowed to prevail at the University of Abuja, the better for everyone. This is by restoring the properly constituted governing authorities, which were unjustifiably removed from office.

Tags