The decision by the federal government to dissolve the governing councils in universities nationwide was strongly criticized by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Thursday. The union urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the decision, which they deemed as highly objectionable due to its premature termination of the councils’ tenures.
Comrade Christopher Piwuna, the National Vice Chairman of ASUU from the University of Jos, expressed these concerns during his presentation at an event honoring retiring lecturers at Joseph Sarwuaan Tarka University Makurdi (JOSTUM), previously known as the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), located in Benue State.
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Piwuna emphasized that dissolving governing councils and transferring their authority to either the Federal Ministry of Education or the National Universities Commission (NUC) without adhering to established university laws is an erroneous move. He further warned against creating a void, as this could potentially lead to collusion between unscrupulous vice chancellors and ministry officials, posing a threat to the integrity of universities. Urgent action is needed to prevent such a flagrant disregard for the legal foundations upon which universities are established.
