An advertorial from the Education Ministry, seen by PUNCH Online, detailed the appointments, specifying a chairperson and four members for each institution. The announcement was signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack.
Walson-Jack announced that the inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will be held on Thursday, May 30, and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, located at 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, with events starting at 9:00 AM each day.
When asked for confirmation, the Presidency affirmed that the list originated from the Ministry of Education. “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 (they have the freedom) to release it from their end,” said Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, on Saturday.
These appointments come amid recent tensions with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has threatened to initiate another strike. The union criticized the Federal Government’s delay in appointing Governing Councils for federal universities and expressed dissatisfaction with the administration’s handling of academic matters. ASUU also condemned the recent salary adjustments, which included a 35 percent increase for professors and a 25 percent increase for other academic staff.
