ASUU Urges FG to Reconstitute Governing Councils of Universities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Calabar Zone has urged the federal government to reconstitute the Governing Councils of Universities whose terms have lapsed.

The Calabar Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr. Aniekan Brown, said this in a press conference held in Uyo yesterday.

Brown, who was flanked with ASUU leaders from the zone also called on FG to appoint Vice Chancellors into universities whose Chief Executives were on acting capacity.

"We strongly call on federal government to reconstitute the

Governing Councils of Universities, which have served their terms. "Appoint substantive Vice Chancellors in Universities whose Chief Executives are now on acting capacity.

"One of the universities whose leadership position needs to be urgently addressed is the Federal University, Dutse-Ma," Brown said.

The union also called on the Visitor to various universities which had not been visited by the traditional visitation panel in the past five years to send panel to the institutions immediately.

He added that the outcome of the visitation panel should be implemented in the interest of global health of public universities.

Brown also called on the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent postponement of the 51st Convocation of the University of Lagos by the Pro Chancellor.

He said that the postponement had cost the university and government a huge resources in this difficult times.

"ASUU strongly appeals to the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding this reckless use of power and punish those culpable accordingly in the interest of the nation, and its education sector," he said.

On federal government and ASUU on Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), he said that ASUU has repeatedly pointed to FG that the template for IPPIS, as it is, did not cover the peculiarities of universities.

Brown said ASUU has produced an alternative template, called the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) that would be fraud and corruption proof.

According to him, IPPIS is not corruption proven as its still accommodate ghost workers.

The union leader wondered, why in spite of this government was still using threat to force membership of the Union onto IPPIS.