43 UniAbuja professors petition Minister, allege irregularities in VC selection process

Forty-three professors at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) have accused the institution’s Governing Council of manipulating the ongoing process to appoint a substantive Vice-Chancellor.

In a petition addressed to the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, the professors alleged that the council was orchestrating the process to favour the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi, despite her alleged lack of qualifications.

The professors argued that the council was improperly constituted, with internal members allegedly handpicked by the immediate past Vice-Chancellor, Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah, during a strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter of the institution. They claimed these members prioritised loyalty over merit, thereby compromising the integrity of the selection process.

Also, they criticised the inclusion of a representative from the Federal Ministry of Education and a businesswoman on the council, asserting that these individuals lacked the expertise required to uphold quality assurance in higher education governance.

The petition also claimed that key criteria for the Vice-Chancellor position, such as a minimum of ten years of professorial experience, were allegedly disregarded in the advertisement for the post of Vice-Chancellor published in newspapers in August 2024.

According to the professors, the Acting Vice-Chancellor had only two years of experience as a professor, lacked scholarly visibility, and had weak academic credentials.

They, however called for the dissolution of the Governing Council and the establishment of a new body to oversee the selection process.

The professors also urged the Minister to nullify all decisions taken by the current council, warning that failure to act would set a dangerous precedent for other universities.

The letter reads in part: “We have lost total faith and confidence in the Governing Council to be fair and just in producing the best and most qualified Vice Chancellor for the University. Thus, we urge you to take immediate corrective action to restore the integrity of the process by dissolving the Governing Council, declare their proceedings null and void, re-constitute a new Governing Council to superintend fresh and free process that will lead to the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for the University of Abuja.

“Honourable Minister Sir, failure to address these concerns will have far-reaching consequences for the University and the higher education system in Nigeria as other Governing Councils will gladly emulate this ugly and unfortunate path taken by the University of Abuja Governing Council.”

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