The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) branch at the University of Abuja has commenced an indefinite strike to address concerns regarding recent developments within the union. The decision to embark on the strike was announced on Thursday following a congress held at the institution’s Permanent Site.
Members of the UniAbuja ASUU have expressed discontent with the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’allah, and the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, regarding the process for the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor. Tensions escalated after an advertorial appeared in a national daily on March 15, 2024, soliciting applications for Na’Allah’s replacement.
However, ASUU members contested the legitimacy of the advertisement during a conference, denouncing it as “illegal” and asserting that it did not originate from the governing council. According to Sylvanus Ugoh, the Chairman of UniAbuja ASUU, the Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act 1993, as amended in 2003 and 2012 (Section 3, subsections 1 and 2), stipulates that only the governing council has the authority to advertise the vacant VC position.
Ugoh argued that no other entity or individual possesses the legal mandate to initiate the process of appointing a new Vice-Chancellor. He highlighted the university administration’s placement of the advertisement for the VC vacancy on March 15, 2024, as a violation of established protocols.
The strike action by UniAbuja ASUU underscores the deep-seated disagreements surrounding the leadership transition process within the institution. As negotiations between ASUU members, university administration, and relevant stakeholders continue, the academic community awaits resolution to ensure the smooth and lawful appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor.
