By Muhammad Mamman
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has sounded a clarion call, decrying the politicisation of vice-chancellor appointments and the dire state of Nigeria’s public universities. In a blistering statement, ASUU condemned the selection process, spotlighting Alvan Ikoku University of Education in Owerri, Imo State, as a glaring example of merit being sidelined for political gain.
Signed by ASUU President Christopher Piwuna, the statement lambasted governing councils for transforming universities—bastions of scholarship—into commodities for politicians and contractors. “The appointment of vice-chancellors has become a marketplace for political cronies,” ASUU declared, singling out the controversial reappointment of Alvan Ikoku’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, whose academic credentials, it claims, are mired in contradictions. Such practices, the union warned, are creeping into federal universities, threatening their integrity.
Academics Left Demoralised Amid Crumbling Infrastructure
ASUU painted a grim picture of lecturers’ plight, highlighting their struggle to teach and research in deplorable conditions. “Our members toil on empty stomachs, in libraries and labs stripped of essential resources—books, journals, chemicals, and reagents,” the statement read. Lecturers, burdened by unpaid bills, crumbling vehicles, and mounting personal responsibilities, feel “forgotten, shamed, and demoralised” by successive governments.
Yet, ASUU noted, Nigeria’s elite are quick to scapegoat universities for producing “unemployable graduates” while ignoring the systemic neglect that stifles innovation. The union reiterated its warnings to federal and state governments about the risks of fostering a disempowered academic workforce, citing breaches of collective bargaining principles enshrined in the International Labour Organisation’s conventions.
A Stalled Agreement and a Looming Crisis
At the heart of ASUU’s grievances lies the government’s failure to honour the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, with renegotiations stalled despite a draft submitted by the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed committee in December 2024. “Every major dispute since 2012 stems from the government’s disregard for this agreement,” ASUU asserted, pointing to issues of service conditions, funding, university autonomy, and outdated laws governing the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The union accused successive governments of a “flip-flop” approach, leaving a trail of unfulfilled Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) from 2013 to 2020. “No memorandum can replace a robust Collective Bargaining Agreement that ensures staff welfare and a conducive academic environment,” ASUU insisted.
A Call to Action
ASUU urged Nigerians to press the government to resolve these festering issues before they spiral into another industrial crisis. “Academics are exhausted by empty promises,” the statement concluded. “The time for action is now!” With the university system at a breaking point, ASUU’s rallying cry demands urgent reform to restore dignity to Nigeria’s higher education.
