Prof. Aisha Maikudi,Â
The ongoing controversy over the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when several external members of the university’s Governing Council boycotted a meeting called by the Council Chairman, Air Vice Marshal Saddiq Ismaila Kaita (retd.).
Kaita, who is believed to have a preferred candidate for the role, had convened the meeting late on Monday night with plans to finalize the appointment by 3:00 PM the following day.
However, the external council members, citing a lack of an agenda and concerns over transparency, refused to attend the session.
A source close to the university revealed that the governing law for appointing a Vice-Chancellor stipulates the presence of key members on the selection committee, which, according to the law, includes the Chairman, two Council members (not from the Senate), and two Senate representatives (not from the Council).
Without these members, the selection process cannot proceed legally.
The external council members who skipped the meeting include:
Prof. Raphael Akinfeleye (South-West Representative)
Mrs. Chisom Dorcas Obih (South-East Representative)
Alhaji Sabo Bappayo Ahmed (North-East Representative)
Earlier, 67 professors from the university had raised concerns over the process by submitting a letter of protest to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.
In the letter, they called for the dissolution of the current Governing Council and a fresh, transparent selection process.
The professors accused the Council Chairman of rejecting over 87 applications (27 internal and 60 external) and allegedly focusing on a narrow pool of candidates, with a bias towards the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Aisha Maikudi.
The professors claimed that Prof. Maikudi, with just two years of professorial experience, lacks the academic qualifications and credentials to hold the position.
The petition further accused internal council members of being handpicked by the former Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, during a time of ASUU strikes, and of appointing individuals unqualified for their roles, including a businesswoman and a representative from the Federal Ministry of Education who lacked the academic expertise necessary for such a critical role.
The professors also raised concerns about the university’s advertisement for the VC position, which they claimed overlooked key criteria, such as the requirement for a minimum of ten years of professorial experience.
In their petition, the group demanded that:
The current Governing Council be dissolved.
A new council be constituted to oversee a transparent and merit-based selection process.
Full adherence to due process in the appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor.
The petitioners warned that failing to address these concerns could have severe consequences not only for UniAbuja but for Nigeria’s higher education system at large, as other institutions may adopt similarly flawed practices.
