UNIABUJA speaks on controversies trailing vice chancellor selection process

The Management of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) has denied allegations that the governing council is attempting to impose a candidate in the ongoing recruitment process for a substantive vice-chancellor.

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The university’s spokesperson, Habib Yakoob, said in a statement on Wednesday that the allegations are both misleading and exaggerated.

He said: “The University remains confident in the Council’s commitment to conducting a transparent, fair, and merit-based selection process in strict adherence to the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and other relevant statutes.

“The Council has meticulously structured the process to ensure the emergence of the most competent and visionary leader to steer the institution toward greater achievements.

He explained that a senate meeting scheduled for Tuesday was postponed “to allow for alternative avenues of amicable resolution” between the council and two senate members who staged a walkout at the council meeting on Monday.

The two members walked out shortly after their inauguration as members of the selection committee on Monday.

The UNIABUJA council, therefore, scheduled a senate meeting to address the grievances of the two members who walked out of the meeting or have them replaced.

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He said: “On the matter of the Senate meeting, while it is true that a meeting was initially scheduled to address the issue of two Senate members who walked out of the Joint Council/Senate Selection Board meeting regarding the selection criteria, no such meeting ultimately took place. The meeting was postponed to allow for alternative avenues of amicable resolution.

“Regarding claims of protests by some professors, the university affirms that it respects the right of staff to peaceful expression. However, it categorically denies any allegations of coercion or confrontation during the supposed Senate meeting, particularly as no such meeting occurred.

“As the institution continues to uphold its mission of providing quality education and fostering innovation, it calls on all stakeholders to allow the selection process to proceed without undue interference or politicisation. The process will be concluded with the utmost integrity and in the best interests of the university.”

UNIABUJA and its VC logjam

The selection of a vice chancellor for UNIABUJA has been controversial since March when the administration of the immediate past vice chancellor, Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, a professor, released an advertorial for the position.

But the advertorial sparked controversy on the campus after the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) rejected it, saying the university council is the only body empowered by law to recruit for the position. Meanwhile, there was no council at the time as President Bola Tinubu dissolved governing councils of all tertiary institutions in June 2023.

ALSO READ: UniAbuja ASUU suspends strike after 82 days

The union subsequently embarked on an indefinite strike over the matter. The national leadership of ASUU also issued the federal government a two-week ultimatum to reconstitute the dissolved governing councils.

The government reconstituted the councils and appointed Yusuf Kaita, a retired Air Vice Marshal, to lead that of UNIABUJA.

Earlier in June, the Senate of the university had appointed Aisha Maikudi, a professor of law, as acting vice chancellor to take over from Mr Na’Allah, pending the appointment of a substantive vice chancellor. The appointment was subsequently ratified by the governing councils.

The council called for another application and began the selection process of a new vice chancellor. It received over 80 applications and had pruned them down to about 40 out of which a top three are expected to emerge.

But controversy has continued to trail the new process over allegations and counter allegations by different parties.