ASUU tasks FG to reconstitute governing councils of universities
The Calabar zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the federal government to reconstitute the governing councils of universities whose tenure of office have expired.
Addressing a press conference in Uyo on Friday, the Calabar Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Dr. Aniekan Brown also appealed to the federal government to appoint vice chancellors into universities where their chief executives were engaged in acting capacity.
“We strongly call on the federal government to reconstitute the governing councils of universities, which have served their terms and
appoint substantive vice chancellors in universities whose chief executives are now on acting capacity.
“One of the universities whose leadership position needs to be urgently addressed is the Federal University, Dutse-Ma,” Brown said.
The union also called on the visitor to various universities which have not been visited by the traditional visitation panel in the past five years to send panel to the institutions immediately.
He added that the outcome of the visitation panel should be implemented in the interest of the global health of public universities.
Brown also requested the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent postponement of the 51st convocation of the University of Lagos by the pro-chancellor.
He observed that the postponement has cost the university and government huge resources in these difficult times, adding that
“ASUU strongly appeals to the federal government to investigate the circumstances surrounding this reckless use of power and punish those culpable accordingly in the interest of the nation, and its education sector.”
Concerning the face-off between the federal government and ASUU regarding the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Brown said that ASUU has repeatedly told the federal government that the template for the IPPIS as it is does not cover the peculiarities of universities.
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Brown said ASUU has produced an alternative template called the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) that would be fraud and corruption proof.
According to him, IPPIS is not corruption proven as it still accommodates ghost workers and wondered, why in spite of this government is still using threat to force members of the union onto IPPIS.
