University Of Abuja Lecturers’ Union ASUU Urges Senate Members At Joint Selection Board To Resume Selection Process

University Of Abuja Lecturers’ Union ASUU Urges Senate Members At Joint Selection Board To Resume Selection Process....Click Here To Read Full Article >>

The ASUU-UniAbuja made the appeal on Friday at its emergency meeting concerning the looming crisis over the selection of the new VC of the University.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities in the University of Abuja (ASUU-UNIABUJA) has appealed to Senate members at the Joint Selection Board for the appointment of new Vice-Chancellor to resume the selection process in January 2025.

The ASUU-UniAbuja made the appeal on Friday at its emergency meeting concerning the looming crisis over the selection of the new VC of the University.

SaharaReporters had reported that two Senate members at the Joint Selection Board for the appointment of new Vice Chancellor, Prof Kasim Waziri and Prof Rosemary Udeozo walked out during a meeting on Monday following an alleged imposition of a certain criteria that will led to the emergency of the acting Vice Chancellor Prof Aisha Maikudi as the new VC.

In an update on Friday, SaharaReporters reported that members of ASUU in the University of Abuja were holding a crucial meeting over the controversy surrounding the process of selecting the substantive VC for the University.

Although the resolution of the meeting had yet to be officially released, a member of the ASUU told SaharaReporters that one of the outcome is for the elected Senate members at the joint selection board to resume with the joint selection in January.

“They appealed to us, the elected Senate members at the joint selection board that they are behind us and that we should resume the selection process in January.

“Although they (ASUU) have not released their resolution officially yet but this is the decision taken on the floor of the Senate,” a Senate member in the joint selection board told SaharaReporters on telephone.

It had been reported that the government-appointed members of the Governing Council from southern Nigerian had expressed concerns over the selection process.

In a letter to the Minister of Education, the council members Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye – South West and Mrs. Chisom Dorcas Obih – South East, warned that the situation could lead to litigation, crises, and embarrassment to the Governing Council and the Nigerian university system if not addressed.

The petitioners lamented that none of the three external members of the Council, including the chairman of the selection board is from the South.

Obih and Akinfeleye also said they were deliberately assigned roles that would prevent them from serving on the selection board.

The letter, titled “A Minority Report on the ongoing Vice-Chancellorship Selection Process at the University of Abuja,” and addressed to the Minister of Education, was copied to President Bola Tinubu, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, and other relevant authorities.

The University of Abuja has been embroiled in controversy over the appointment of a new vice-chancellor, with accusations that the governing council led by Air Vice-Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (Rtd), is trying to impose Aisha Maikudi, acting vice-chancellor as the substantive VC, despite concerns over her qualifications.

On the criteria for shortlisting of applicants, the petitioners revealed that the objective and credible criteria for the shortlisting of applicants as recommended by the sub-committee saddled with this task which was earlier approved by the council on December 14, 2024 had been doctored to unduly favour a particular candidate.