In an effort to prevent potential industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), President Bola Tinubu has sanctioned the appointment of 555 individuals to the governing boards of federal universities, polytechnics, and Colleges of Education.
Last Tuesday, ASUU had threatened to initiate a nationwide strike due to the absence of governing councils in all federal universities, among other unresolved issues with the government.
The appointees include prominent figures such as former SGF Yayale Ahmed, former Bauchi State governor Isa Yuguda, Mohammed Abacha (son of late General Sani Abacha), and former INEC Chairman Prof Attahiru Jega, among others.
Key appointments include Senator Udo Udoma as Chairman of Ahmadu Bello University’s Governing Council, Mr. Wole Olanipekun (SAN) as Chairman of the University of Lagos Governing Council, and the former Bauchi State governor as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, among others.
These appointments were made based on nominees selected by the Ministry of Education, with each institution receiving a chairperson and four members for its governing council.
The inauguration and retreat for the governing councils are scheduled for May 30 and 31 at the NUC’s headquarters. It’s worth noting that President Tinubu dissolved the councils last year and transferred supervision powers to the Ministry of Education and NUC.
The absence of governing councils had caused concerns in various institutions, impacting processes such as the nomination of vice-chancellors, recruitment of officials, and staff promotions.
ASUU had urged Nigerians to hold the government accountable for the consequences of not appointing governing councils, emphasizing their rejection of ongoing infringements on university autonomy and illegalities in the system.