In One Fell Swoop, FG Sacks 13 University VCs
Appoints 4 from Kano, as CSOs kick against decision
The federal government yesterday announced the sack of the Vice Chancellors of 12 Federal Universities that were established by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Also sacked is the Vice Chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Vincent Tenebe.
The sack was conveyed in a statement signed by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, stating that President Muahammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of new vice chancellors for the universities, with four of the VCs from Kano.
The statement also indicated that the substantive Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Prof. Mohammed Kundiri, was transferred to the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State.
It stated that a former Head, Department of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, who was said to be on sabbatical in NOUN, is the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
While the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State has Prof. Auwal Yadudu of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano as its new VC, Prof. Fatima Batoul Muktar of the Department of Biology, Northwest University, Kano is the new VC of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State.
A lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Haruna Abdu Kaita is the new VC of Federal University, Dutsin Ma, Katsina State, while Prof. Andrew Haruna of the Department of Linguistics, University of Jos will now function as VC, Federal University, Gashua, Yobe State.
Also, another lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, ABU, Zaria, Prof. Magaji Garba, will now be the VC of Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State while Prof. Alhassan Mohammed Gani of the Institute of Maritime Studies, Federal University, Kashere in Gombe State has been elevated to the position of VC in the same University.
A lecturer in the Department of Physics, Federal University, Lafia, Prof. Muhammad Sanusi Liman will henceforth be VC of same institution. For Prof. Angela Freeman Miri of the Linguistics Department, UniJos, her new portfolio is the Federal University, Lokoja where she will now be VC.
The Federal University, Ndifu-Alike, Ebonyi State now has Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba of the Post-Graduate School, Imo State University, Owerri as its VC, while Prof. Seth Accra Jaja of the Department of Management, University of Port Harcourt is now the VC of Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State.
However, the decision has been kicked against by groups in the sector, with members of the intelligentsia stating that the process leading to their sack was illegal, arguing that it is only the Governing Council of NOUN, of which Tenebe is a member, that could terminate his appointment.
Coalition of Civil Society Groups has protested against the sack in a letter to Buhari, demanding the reversal of the decision in which the NOUN VC was replaced with Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu of Department of Mass Communication, Bayero University, Kano.
In its protest letter to Buhari signed by its President, Etuk Bassey Williams and SecretaryGeneral, Ibrahim Abubakar, the CCSG said the action contravenes 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.