Group urges NASS to probe minister over VCs’ sack
The Concerned Citizens for Educational Development (CGED) has enjoined the National Assembly to probe the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, over the unconventional manner he sacked the vice chancellors of federal universities.
Secretary General of the body, Cyril Ojama, who led a march of concerned Nigerians to protest the sack of the vice chancellors to the National Assembly, on Tuesday, said apart from the probe of the minister by the lawmakers, the National Assembly should reverse the decisions of the minister as they were taken in error and contravened extant laws.
Ojama demanded that the vice chancellors whose tenure haven’t ended should be reinstated to complete same while the minister should be prevailed upon to tender an unreserved apology to the affected 13 vice chancellors.
His words, “The National Assembly should accelerate and strengthen all laws necessary for the protection of our educational system from undue interference.
“We are elated that this act of impunity and assault on our educational system hasn’t been allowed to be swept under the carpet. The heed to our demand will further strengthen citizens’ confidence in the legislature”, he added.
While commending the National Assembly’s reaction over the sack of the university administrators to ensure the nation’s laws are not brazenly contravened, Ojama averred that the manner in which the minister went about the sack “did a great deal in casting aspersions on the hard earned reputation of these eminent academics”.
He accused the minister of unilaterally appointing new vice chancellors without consulting with the respective governing councils, adding that the appointment of the new university helmsmen negate the principle of federal character as majority of the new appointees are from a particular state.
“Obviously, the minister of education sees the seat of vice chancellors as an avenue for ethnic ingratiation and political settlement. This wrong precedence mustn’t be allowed to prevail if our educational system must be saved from looming collapse”, Ojama said.
