The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has faulted the federal government’s decision to dissolve the Governing Councils of all federal universities in the country.
The union said that the move was damaging and a significant 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 over the weekend condemned the move, and insisted that such a trend would cripple the university system if allowed to continue.
According to Mr Yilgwan, the dissolution contravened the Act establishing federal universities, adding that it will stagnate the institutions’ progress.
He stressed that the Act provides a statutory tenure of governing councils of universities and so they cannot be dissolved at will like other boards.
His words:
“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 governing council is the highest decision-making body of every university, and once it is dissolved without an 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 appealed to the government at all levels to allow the universities to operate under the law establishing them.
