The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and the 12 Federal Universities established by the Jonathan administration now have new vice chancellors following the unexpected removal of the incumbents by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The president also approved the reconstitution of the universities’ governing councils.
No reason was given for the action which drew the instant ire of some civil society organisations (CSO’s).
The CSO’s claimed that the Governing Council of NOUN of which Professor Vincent Tenebe was a member is the only body empowered to remove him.
Replacing Tenebe is Professor Abdallah Uba Adamu, who until now was of the Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.
Professor Auwal Yadudu, who served as Special Adviser on Legal Matters to the late military head of state, General Sani Abacha is the new Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Birnin Kebbi.
He was until now of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano.
A former head of the Department of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Kayode Soremekun is the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, while Prof. Fatima Batoul Muktar of the Department of Biology, North West University, Kano is the VC of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State.
The rest are: Prof. Haruna Abdu Kaita, Federal University, Dutsin Ma, Katsina State; Prof. Andrew Haruna, Federal University, Gashua, Yobe State; Prof. Magaji Garba, Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State; Prof. Alhassan Mohammed Gani, Federal University, Kashere , Gombe State; Prof. Muhammad Sanusi Liman, Federal University, Lafia; Prof. Angela Freeman Miri, Federal University, Lokoja; Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, Federal University, Ndifu-Alike, Ebonyi State; Prof. Seth Accra Jaja, Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State.
Education Minister Adamu Adamu merely said in a statement yesterday that : “The President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and Visitor to all federal universities, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the appointment of new vice chancellors for the 12 under-listed Federal Universities and the National open University of Nigeria with effect from Friday, February 12, 2016.”
The Ministry in a separate notice said the president had approved the reconstitution of the governing councils of the new 12 Federal Universities with immediate effect.
The chairmen of the new councils are scheduled to meet with the minister tomorrow in Abuja.
However, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups protested the VCs’ sack in a letter to President Buhari.
The group said the action contravened the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act No.11 of 1993 (as amended) by decree No.25, 1996 and further amended in 2003 and 2012 respectively and other agreements as contained in the 2009 FGN staff union agreement.
The petitioners claimed that four out of the 12 new VCs are from Bayero University, Kano alone, which in their view violates the federal character principle.
They said: “while this does not come as a surprise owing to the influence of one of the Special Advisers to the Minister of Education in orchestrating the appointments of his friends and cronies without following due process, we are, however, concerned about the constitutional breach and the resultant litigation battle this action may cause, which in turn may generate unnecessary distractions to your focused administration.
“While we are not unmindful of the fact that you would have acted on the recommendation of the Minister of Education in approving their removal, it is pertinent to know that in the pursuit of ambition driven by unguided passion and greed, impunity becomes inevitable as the end irrespective of the means is all that matters and in this case, the removal of these Vice Chancellors is the outcome of an unguided passion and greed by the Minister of Education and his Special Adviser.
“The constitution is quite clear on the procedures to be followed in the appointment and disengagement of Vice Chancellors and none of these procedures were followed in the above case.
“The appointment of Vice Chancellors is a tenured appointment, which presupposes that every appointee is expected to serve the prescribed number of years as stipulated by the Acts governing the institutions.”
The coalition said none of the Vice Chancellors was allowed to complete his tenure and all were removed without following due process of the law.
The CCSG argued that if a Vice Chancellor must be removed from office before the expiration of his tenure, it is only the Board of the Governing Council that is empowered to recommend or effect such removal.
The group said: “In the above case, the Minister already dissolved the Board of the Governing Council with the statutory powers to recommend or effect the removal of a Vice Chancellor from office thereby making the removal of these Vice Chancellors illegal, null and void.
“In appointing new Vice Chancellors or any public officer for that matter, it is an offence and a breach of the Federal Character principle for one third of the total appointees to come from a particular state.
“The action of the Minister is greeted with sadness as it is considered a breach of the provisions of the University Amendment Act or legislation and to a large extent a gross violation of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantees universities autonomy in Nigeria.”
The letter was signed by the coalition’s chairman, Etuk Bassey Williams and Secretary-General, Ibrahim Abubakar.
However, Prof. Michael Faborode, the Secretary-General, Committee of Vice-Chancellors (CVC), has said the tenure of vice-chancellors of nine Federal Universities will expire on Feb. 15.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Abuja, that it would not be fair to say that the vice-chancellors were sacked.
According to him, “The tenure of the vice-chancellors of nine of these universities expires on Feb. 15. It will be unfair to say that they were sacked; they have exhausted their tenure; when your tenure is not renewed; it does not mean you are sacked. I do not know the reasons why the vice-chancellors of the other three universities were affected.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Where were these civil society organisations (CSO’s) when former President Jonathan
ReplyDeletewas appointing people he thought will defend him whenever all acts of looting committed under him must have exposed after leaving the office?
Let us admit that this is not a move that will help change the mess in which this country is now. It may rather create more problems of trust in the leadership. Raising this dust will not sort out the economic or political problems that need urgent solutions. The people that need to be changed if at all, are in the ministries that have helped take our education, health power works (roads especially) into this state of decay. Finally, we should be told the reason for these changes if this government is really democratic and not dictatorial.
DeletePlease Let us call a spade a spade, I really appreciate this our God sent President, keep politics apart,this what it suppose to be,for example in Fed,university ikwo Ebonyi state the Yoruba man have messed up the school, every day he employs hundreds of his Yoruba brothers and sisters even common cleaners some of them are from his state whereas he keep on telling the indigen that there is no chance. See we Nigerian are the people that are making this country uncomfortable. Please my President you can look at the NUC constitution that empowered FC of universities to give appointment papers to anybody there like anytime they want,all those stupid veto power are what spoiling this country in all sector. I don't know this present Vc but there must be change.
ReplyDeleteVeto for veto. Is this not another veto? What does it earn us? The government should be bold enough to tell us what these VCS' did. We have come back to the military era when many were wrongly sacked summarily, only to find out later they did nothing. The VC's should be probed and based on the findings, punishment should be meted out. The President cannot just wake up on the wrong side and sack people or get information that may not be accurate and start acting on it. That will take us back 30yrs or more!
DeleteNice move Mr. President the removal of the NOUN VC is a welcome developmet...corruption in that institution under his watch was absolutely alarming and he did nothing about it! Instead of sacking a corrupt worker, he transfers him to another study center.
ReplyDelete4 VCs out of 12 from BU Kano alone and without due process? The president is uniting the country indeed and fighting corruption.
ReplyDeleteRather than focus on how to consolidate your political base in the face of evident PDP schemes, you are busying yourself with the academia.
ReplyDeleteSacking all the Christians and replacing them with Boko Haram
ReplyDeleteThis is not the change Nigerians voted for. We must stand up for what is right in sight of the law. This is absolutely unacceptable
ReplyDeleteNot acceptable at all.For Buhari to just wake up and use his military fiat approach to sack the VCs,is not in good faith.Vcs have tenure duration which they by right suppose to complete. But if at they are found wanting in the discharge of their duties within that tenure time frame,there are still due process es of removing them.Those our so called law makers in Abuja who are doing nothing than eating and steaing our money that those Vcs cannot see no matter how corrupt they are, are all over the place making no laws that can help the poor masses.Buhari must recall those Vcs with immediate effect and tender apology for taking such embarrasing steps.
ReplyDeleteEnter your comment...D appointmt was one sided, muslins r more than christains
ReplyDeleteEnter your comment... ARE D MUSLIN PROFESSORS MORE COMPETENT THAN DIA CHRISTAIN COUNTERPACT? ...DIS AN ADVANCEMT OF FULANI HEGEMONY IN NIGERIA
ReplyDeleteEnter your comment... LOPSIDED APPOINTMT ,IT VIOLATES D FEDERAL CHARACTER PRINCIPLE OF NIG. 4 VC FRM BAYERO UNIV. ALONE
ReplyDeleteEnter your comment... Boko haram vc lording over more intellectualy competent southerners
ReplyDeleteEnter your comment... Strengthening more d hausa/fulani superiority & hegemony
ReplyDeletePrecident has constitutional right to appoint anybody.Among Those That He Appointed There Are Muslims And Christian and those that he sacked
ReplyDeleteThis is dictatorship. Even if the tenure of the VCs is to expire Feb. 15, why not wait till then and appoint new ones by due process. Why the crass and crude show of military bravado in the academia? Is this not a fallout of illiteracy and sheer sadism? Buhari is splitting this country along tribal and religious lines. The country is getting more sick than APC inherited it. But they should know that power belongs to God, not to them. They should be careful. God is neither asleep nor dead.
ReplyDelete