The Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, on Thursday, commenced an indefinite strike action.
The UNIABUJA branch of ASUU announced its decision to embark on the strike on Thursday at the end of its congress, in a bid to draw attention to developments bordering the union.
Members of the association in the university have been in disagreement with the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’allah and the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman over the processes for the appointment of a new VC.
On 15th of March 2024, an advertorial that surfaced in a national daily which noted that a replacement was being sought for Na’Allah.
However, ASUU members rejected the ad during a press conference and declared it “illegal,” adding that it was not from the governing council.
Chairman of UniAbuja ASUU, Sylvanus Ugoh, said the Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act 1993 as amended; 2003 and 2012 (Section 3, subsections 1 and 2) empowers only the governing council to advertise the VC’s seat when declared vacant.
According to Ugoh, no other organ or individual is legally vested with the power to initiate the procedure of appointing a successive VC.
“You will recall that the university administration placed an advert on the vacancy of the post of a Vice-Chancellor on Friday 15th March 2024,” he said.