Universities Governing Councils Must Follow Process Of Appointing VCs – Buhari

…Appeals to ASUU to return to classrooms

BY TEMI OHAKWE, ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari has cautioned the heads of Governing Councils of Nigerian universities against the mismanagement of the process of appointing Vice Chancellors warning that they would be held responsible for the outcome of the process.

This was even as he appealed to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off strike and return to classrooms.

President Buhari noted that the ASUU strike has gone on for far too long thus caused enough devastation in the lives of students and the universities.

The Nigerian leader stated these at the 2020 convocation and 72nd foundation day celebration of the University of Ibadan, said the government is worried about the avalanche of petitions, many bordering on serious allegations of bribery and corruption as well as disrespect for due process, in the course of selecting new vice-chancellors in some federal universities.

Represented by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Abubakar Rasheed, President Buhari, who is the Visitor to the university, warned that government will not hesitate to dissolve or suspend all erring governing councils or university managements found to have fallen short of the standard expected of them.

He said that the government has set in motion several mechanisms to monitor the selection process of VCs with a view to taking appropriate measures to ensure that the processes are conducted in open, fair and transparent manner, stressing that violators would be properly sanctioned.

According to Buhari; “Pro-Chancellors, in their dual role as chairpersons of Governing Councils and chairpersons of the five person selection committee for the appointment of Vice-Chancellors, must be prepared to bear full responsibility for the management or mismanagement of the process. It is our hope the University of Ibadan, as Nigeria’s premier university, will live up to its billing in this respect”.

While stating that government has strengthened institutions such the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Ofences Commission (ICPC) in the fight against corruption, the President said it is not useful to talk of adequate funding of education if universities are mired in crisis, confusion, fraud and lack of institutional vision.