By Olawale Lamina
The Academic Staff Union of Universities ,ASUU, has expressed disapproval over the composition of the newly constituted governing councils for federal universities in the country.
ASUU’s national president, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, stated in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, expressing disappointment in the process that culminated in the appointment process.
Prof Osodeke had observed that the controversial list of the councils’ members was full of retired politicians, instead of expected members of the academia and experts in relevant fields.
“He queried the suitability of such appointments for the strategic development of higher educational institutions in the country saying, “Most of them are retired politicians. They are honourable this and honourable that.”
Osodeke observed the new list as being worse than those before it, showing backwardness in the appointment policies of the federal government.
“Additionally, ASUU’s leadership faulted the formation of new councils as being procedurally flawed and possibly illegal.
ASUU noted that the Federal Government had dissolved the previous councils over ten months ahead of the expiration of their tenures, a move against the stipulated University Act.
The Union stressed that government should have allowed them ( the immediate past councils) run their terms before constituting new councils.
ASUU warned against subjecting the nation’s university education to partisan politics, for Nigeria to achieve educational quality that can lead to economic prosperity.
While calling for the re-evaluation of how university councils are constituted in the country, the ASUU president said: “We can’t run our universities like this if we truly want genuine development to take place.”
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