Tinubu Intervenes To Avert Fresh ASUU Strike

Eko Hot Blog reports that President Bola Tinubu has approved the reconstitution Governing councils and boards of federal universities in a bid to avert fresh industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

This was made known in a statement by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri.

The statement reads: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reconstitution of the governing councils and boards of federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education for the effective management of Nigerian tertiary institutions across the country.”

In the reconstituted board, the former governor of Osun State and pioneer chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, was appointed as the chairman of the Governing Council of the University of a Ibadan (UI), Oyo State.

Renowned lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wole Olanipekun, was appointed to lead Lagos University (UNILAG); a former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, who will chair the governing council of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN); and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU).

Joy Emordi, a former senator, was also appointed to chair the council of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State.

The list comprises five names each for 51 universities, 35 polytechnics, and 22 colleges of education.

Recall that ASUU had rejected a list of governing board members initially approved by the federal government.

President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, insists the list is illegal and has not addressed the reason it issued a two-week strike notice.

On Friday, May 17, 2024, the federal Ministry of Education published a list of appointees as members to the governing boards of 111 federal institutions.

But in a swift reaction, Professor Osodeke issued a statement describing  the list released as unacceptable.

The ASUU president insisted that what the union is asking for is the reinstatement of boards it claims were illegally dissolved before the expiration of their tenure.

He noted that the union will reconvene on Monday, May 28, to assess the situation for its next line of action.

In June 2023, President Bola Tinubu ordered the dissolution of the boards of all federal tertiary institutions, a move that did not go down well with the University teachers, forcing institutions such as the University of Abuja and a few others to embark on strike.

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