President Bola Tinubu has greenlit the appointment of 555 individuals to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairpersons and members of Governing Boards across 111 federal universities, polytechnics, and Colleges of Education. This significant move follows Tinubu’s endorsement of a list of nominees curated by the Ministry of Education.
According to an advertorial released by the Education Ministry and obtained by PUNCH Online, each institution will have a chairperson and four members appointed to its Governing Council. The document, signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, outlines the details of the appointments.
“The inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will take place on Thursday, May 30, and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Both events will commence at 9:00 am daily,” stated Walson-Jack.
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In response to inquiries, the Presidency clarified that the list originated from the Federal Ministry of Education. Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, affirmed, “This is from the Federal Ministry of Education… they make the nominations and forward them to the President to sign. But they are at liberty to release it from their end.”
These appointments come amid rising tensions within the academic sector, particularly highlighted by threats from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to initiate another strike. ASUU recently lamented the Federal Government’s delay in appointing Governing Councils for federal universities and criticized what they perceive as the government’s indifference towards academic matters.
During a briefing at the University of Abuja, ASUU expressed dissatisfaction with the 35% salary increment for professors and the 25% increment for other academics, adding to the existing grievances within the university system.
