Isa Umar Gusau
12 January 2009
President Umaru Musa Yar'adua has violated the law in his recent appointments of governing council members for the 24 federal universities, Secretary of the University of Maiduguri chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Shehu Mustapha Liberty said in Maiduguriat the weekend.
Liberty, a lecturer with department of public administration in UNIMAID, said in a statement that the recent appointment of 9 external governing council members called "persons of variety of interest and broadly representation of the whole federation" was done in contravention of the provisions of the constitution which limits the Federal Government to appoint only four external members.
"My attention has been drawn to the reconstitution of governing councils for the 24 Federal Universities by the Federal Government after a very long delay. I observed with serious concern that the appointment of the Governing Councils was done in violation of the Laws governing such appointments. The University of Maiduguri (Miscellaneous provision) Decree No 11 of 1993 clearly stated that the Governing Council of the University consists of Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellors, one person representing the Federal Ministry of Education, four persons of variety of interest and broadly representative of the whole Federation to be appointed by the Federal Government, Four persons appointed by Senate from among its members, two persons appointed by congregation from among its members and one person appointed by Convocation from among its members.
Very worrisome however, the Federal Government violated this Decree and appointed a Pro-Chancellor and Chairman and nine external members for the Governing Council of the University of Maiduguri and other universities instead of four members. This violates the law and is therefore null and void" the university don said.
Liberty called on the Federal Government to rectify this and ensure that the number of the external members of the council is reduced to four as stipulated by the Decree, since the government "claims to respect the Rule of Law and due process".
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