ASUU Strike: Return To Work – NUC Directs Vice Chancellors Of Universities
BY TEMI OHAKWE, ABUJA
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission NUC, Prof. Adamu Rasheed, has declared that Nigerian universities must fulfil their primary roles and extant laws.
This was as the Minister of Education, Mr. Adamu Adamu called on the Vice Chancellors to join hands with the federal government in repositioning the Nigerian University system.
The NUC also directed Vice Chancellors of public universities to fulfil their primary roles of teaching as well as take up the challenges of research and community work through competence and resolutions.
Prof. Rasheed, who stated these in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the 2022 NUC management retreat with Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, said that the NUC is poised to promote dialogue and constructive engagement with critical stakeholders as it supervises crisis free university system.
He affirmed that the National Universities Commission is responsible for the development of universities in Nigeria and will continue to provide guidance to ensure students’ sponsors get value for the education.
According to Rasheed; “the NUC sympathises with the vice chancellors we know how difficult the task of being a VC is, nobody is happy with the VC of a university ,students are not happy that the VC cannot provide electricity, lecturers are also not happy because their pockets are low even the communities as well, the vice chancellors face serious challenges and road blocks to achieve the success of their mandates”.
The NUC Executive Secretary said that the 5-day retreat must identify and support on-going efforts by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders towards ensuring stability as well as put an end to on-going strike in the countries public universities.
Rasheed further said; “Our universities have been confronted with uncertainties due to the unfortunate strike. ASUU strike is in the six month and as vice-chancellors, we know the negative consequences of the prolong closure of universities, we know what it means in-terms of its effect on the economy of a nation. As vice chancellors, we know what it means in-terms of our institutional reputation and the future of our youths.
“University education is fundamental to success and a nation’s economy, nations explore teaching, research and community development for aspiration of goals,” he said.
Rasheed said the retreat will feature a wide range discussion of issues from challenges to solutions while the vice chancellors also come up with recommendations that strengthen the Nigerian university system.
Immediately after the opening session of the retreat, some of the Vice chancellors accompanied the Executive Secretary of NUC to a crucial stakeholders’ meeting towards ending the six month old ASUU Strike.
Also speaking at the retreat, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Nanah Opiah, said that parts of the challenges created by COVID-19 was paucity of funds, hence it added to the challenges of the ivory towers in terms of funding.
The Minister cautioned the vice chancellors not to surrender their rights of managing the universities, adding that administration of a university is a distinct role of the vice chancellor of a university who is expected to manage the day to day activities of the institutions.
