ASUU REJECTS ADVERTISEMENT OF VICE CHANCELLOR POSTITION AT MAU YOLA

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Olusayo Elutinju

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, in the Modibbo Adama University, MAU, Yola, has rejected the advertisement for the vice chancellor position at the university.

The union, which held a news conference to discuss the issue, emphasized that it completely disapproved of the announcement of the vice chancellor position at MAU since it was against the law.

The offices of vice chancellor and other principal officers of all federal universities advertise openings through normal and unusual channels, according to El-Maude Jibreel Gambo, chairperson of the MAU chapter of ASUU, who read the press conference transcript to reporters.

“Under normal circumstances, the Council does that whereas under abnormal circumstances the vice-chancellor or Senate can appoint an acting vice chancellor for a period of six months, depending on the laws governing a particular university,” El-Maude Gambo explained.

He added, however, that, unfortunately, the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, “has mandated some university managements, including MAU Yola, to write an application seeking his approval to advertise the position of vice chancellor.”

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He said, “This singular illegal act does not only violate the established norms and/or culture of electing vice-chancellors and other principal officers but also threatens the integrity, autonomy and academic freedom of Nigeria’s public universities.”

He continued by saying that the act also blatantly violates the values of equity, openness, and merit-based selection for university principal administrators.

The MAU branch of ASUU also condemned what it termed the “illegal” dissolution of governing councils of federal universities by the National Universities Commission, NUC, following a directive of President Bola Tinubu, an act which the union said violates Section 3 (1&2) of Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1993.

El-Maude Gambo urged President Tinubu, the education minister, and other stakeholders to reconstitute the governing councils without delay.