ASUU UDUS Rejects Vice-Chancellor Position Advertisement, Calls for Reconstitution of Governing Councils

The Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) in Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto (UDUS) has rejected the advertisement for the institution’s Vice-Chancellor and other positions.

The union has called for the immediate reconstitution of the Federal University Governing Councils, citing the Federal Government’s decision to cancel the miscellaneous provisions in the university system as undermining the principles of transparency, equity, and merit-based selection of university principal officers.

ASUU UDUS argues that the dissolution of the University Governing Council and all Federal University Governing Councils by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in June 2023 undermines the established procedures and autonomy of these institutions.

The union also claims that the advertisement for vacancies in federal universities violates proper procedures and threatens the integrity and academic freedom of Nigeria’s public universities.

ASUU UDUS emphasizes that the University Law distinctly delineates the composition, roles, and dissolution procedures of the University Governing Councils, and it does not transfer the council’s functions to the Minister or the Visitor.

The union urges President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Education, and other critical stakeholders to reconstitute the Governing Councils of public universities to ensure that universities operate legally and smoothly, aligning with the provisions of the law.

The union also calls for an investigation into all manners of violations of the Law in recent actions taken by various universities in the absence of the government councils.

They plead with all stakeholders to support the autonomy and integrity of public universities for the betterment of the educational system and the future of the nation.

This development highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Nigeria’s public universities, as ASUU UDUS seeks to protect the autonomy and integrity of these institutions and ensure that the selection process for principal officers is transparent, equitable, and merit-based.