ASUU cannot dictate to the Federal Government those to be appointed into Universities Governing Councils:
The hue and cry by the Academic Staff Union of Universities,ASUU, over the appointment of meets of the governing Council of universities by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is totally misplaced.
Every federal government owned university is established by a statute or law enacted by the National Assembly.
All the statutes establishing federal universities contain the procedure on how members of their various Governing Council should be appointed by Mr. President.
Let me take the case of the University of Calabar to use it to illustrate the point I want to make.
My point is that appointment of the membership of the Governing Councils doesn’t require the appointment of only technocrats,as suggested by ASUU.
Anybody can be appointed into the Council, as long as he fulfills the criterion spells out in the statute, establishing the universities,he has being appointed into.
It is the prerogative of Mr. President to appoint anybody of his choice into any appointment as long as he meets with the condition(s) stipulated by the law.
Section 5 (a-h) of the University of Calabar Act 2004 provides as follows:
The Council of the University shall consist of:
(a) the Pro-Chancellor;
(b) the Vice-Chancellor;
(c) the Deputy Vice-Chancellors;
(d) one person from the Ministry responsible for Education;
(e) nine persons representing a variety of interests and broadly representative of the whole Federation to be appointed by the President;
(f) four persons appointed by the Senate from among its members;
(g) two persons appointed by the Congregation from among its members;
(h) one person appointed by Convocation from among its members.Section 5 (e) of the University of Calabar Act,2004 is quite instructive.
It prescribes the method or the quality of people that should be appointed into the governing council by Mr. President.
Mr. President is required to appoint nine persons representing a variety of interests and broadly representative of the whole Federation.
No special qualification is stated and is required as long as the appointment reflects a variety of interests and broadly representative of the whole Federation.
Therefore,Mr. President has satisfied the requirements laid by the law for the appointment of members of the universities belonging to the Federal government of Nigeria.
The impression that the political class doesn’t have within its fold Technocrats is misplaced.