The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has faulted the decision of the federal government on the dissolution of the Governing Councils of all federal universities in the country.
The union said that the move was inimical and a major setback toward the growth and development of university education in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the University of Jos chapter of the union, Chris Yilgwan, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Jos.
NAN reports that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had on June 22, announced the dissolution of governing councils of all federal universities and boards of other agencies and parastatals in the country.
The NUC directive was based on a similar one three days earlier by President Bola Tinubu ordering the dissolution of the boards of all government parastatals, agencies and companies. A PREMIUM TIMES review of the presidential directive showed that universities, polytechnics and even the NUC were among the educational institutions affected by the directive.
Mr Yilgwan, who condemned the move, insisted that such a trend if allowed to continue, would cripple the university system.”
According to Mr Yilgwan, the dissolution contravened the Act establishing federal universities, adding that it will stagnate the progress of the institutions.
“The recent dissolution of the governing councils of federal universities by the National Universities Commission does not conform with the Miscellaneous Act of 2003 as amended.
“The Act provided a statutory tenure of governing councils of universities and so they cannot be dissolved at will like other boards.
“The governing council is the highest decision-making body of every university, and once it is dissolved without immediate replacement, it stalls every major decision in the university.
“So, we consider the dissolution as inimical to the progress of the university system and call on the federal government to rescind its decision,” he said.
He appealed to the government at all levels to allow the universities to operate in accordance with the law establishing them.
