UniAbuja ASUU Clashes with Minister Over VC Successor Advertisement

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) have found themselves in a contentious dispute with Tahir Mamman, the Minister of Education, over an advertisement purportedly seeking the successor of the university’s vice-chancellor (VC).

ASUU has adamantly rejected an advertisement that it alleges the minister approved to search for a replacement for Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, the outgoing VC of UniAbuja.

The advertisement, which appeared in a national daily on March 15, triggered swift opposition from ASUU members, who convened in a conference on Thursday to denounce it as “illegal” and insisted it was not sanctioned by the governing council.

Sylvanus Ugoh, the chairman of UniAbuja ASUU, cited the Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act 1993 as amended in 2003 and 2012 (section 3 subsections 1 and 2), which he argued only confers the authority to advertise the VC’s position in the event of a vacancy to the governing council.

According to Ugoh, no other entity or individual possesses the legal mandate to initiate the process of appointing a new VC.

“The Academic Staff Union of Universities at the University of Abuja wishes to declare that the minister of education and the university administration acted in violation of the act and the university autonomy,” stated Ugoh.

He further highlighted the union’s frustration with what they perceive as governmental interference in university affairs, particularly following the dissolution of governing councils of all federal universities in 2023, pursuant to a directive from President Bola Tinubu.

This dissolution has compelled federal universities to seek governmental approval for administrative decisions, including fee adjustments, a situation that ASUU alleges has fostered a culture of disregard for regulations and laws governing UniAbuja.

In response, ASUU has called upon the federal government to reinstate governing councils to safeguard university autonomy.

The union has also urged the university management and the Minister of Education to retract the published advertisement in compliance with the law, cautioning prospective applicants to refrain from engaging with it until due process is observed.