President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, insists the recently published list of appointees to the governing boards of federal institutions is illegal and does not address the reasons behind the union’s two-week strike notice.
On Friday, May 17, 2024, the Federal Ministry of Education released a list of appointees for the governing boards of 111 federal institutions. In response, Professor Osodeke stated that the list is unacceptable.
Professor Osodeke emphasized that the union is demanding the reinstatement of boards it claims were illegally dissolved before the expiration of their tenure. He noted that the union will reconvene on Monday, May 28, to determine its next course of action.
In June 2023, President Bola Tinubu ordered the dissolution of the boards of all federal tertiary institutions, a decision that did not sit well with university faculty. This led to strikes at institutions such as the University of Abuja.
University governing boards are legally mandated to oversee the election of a new vice chancellor, a function not meant for either the outgoing vice chancellor or the Minister of Education.
Meanwhile, the Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Chris Maiyaki, has appealed to ASUU to put aside its grievances in the interest of students.