We’re following due process, says varsity management
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi State, has faulted the appointment process of a new Vice-Chancellor (VC) and other principal officers.

It claimed that the university management violated the institution’s law guiding the appointment of a new VC and “illegally” allowed some principal officers to stay in office inan acting capacity beyond six months.

But the university management said it never violated any law, as the recruitment process followed due process.

ASUU Chairperson in ATBU, Dr Ibrahim Inuwa, during a briefing at ASUU Secretariat, yesterday, said the Acting Registrar, who is the custodian of the university’s law, engaged in “illegality” by advertising the position of VC while illegally occupying an office.

He said: “The advertisement of the vacancy for the post of VC in ATBU Bauchi (Internal and External Advertisement) published on Sunday, January 14, 2024, has got tongues wagging within and outside the university community due to the absence of the university council. The union rejects this illegality because it runs counter to any relevant law governing the university.

“The union is worried about the misapplication of the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1993 as amended. The provisions of the Act neither vested the powers of the advertisement of vacancy for the post of VC with the Minister of Education nor the registrar of the university.”

According to Inuwa, there are no circumstances whatsoever in either the spirit or the letters of all the university laws where anybody else, rather than the council, is given the power to appoint a substantive VC. However, in an abnormal situation, the law allows the University Senate to appoint an acting VC to hold the office for a maximum period of six months. This position is clearly spelt out in Chapter 16 Subsection A (b) xi-xii of the ATBU Conditions of Service.”

The Union called on the Minister of Education and President Bola Tinubu, to use their good offices to protect what remains of the sanctity of public universities in Nigeria by immediately halting the process of appointing a VC for ATBU and ensuring that governing councils of universities are restored immediately to ensure that the universities run according to the laws of the land.

MEANWHILE, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the University, Zailani Bappa, dismissed the lecturers’ claim that the management violated the laws. He said the management had been following due process by advertising vacant positions.

According to him, the law allows the management to advertise the post of VC in the absence of the varsity council. “We have not violated any law. On other principal officers, we have advertised them too. Also, the law allows that acting capacity can be renewed after six months. So, I don’t know what ASUU means.”