ASUU: Buhari’s govt releases white paper of visitation panels 4 days to go

BARELY four days to the end of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Federal Government on Thursday officially released the white paper report of visitation panels to 42 higher institutions in the country.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, presented the Gazetted White Papers of the Presidential Visitation Exercise, an evaluation document for 42 institutions, that took place between 2011 and 2020 to stakeholders in Abuja.

The release of the white paper report was one of the key demands by the Academic Staff Union of Universities during the union’s strike in 2022.

Parts of the visitation panel’s term of references was to review the performance of each institution assigned in the area of governance, academic standards, quality assurance, management of finances, relationships between the management and the staff, as well as the structures of the schools’ infrastructure and instructional materials.

The visitation panels were also asked to look into the financial management of the institutions, compliance to procurement laws, and investigate the application of funds particularly the special grants and loans made for specific projects, among others.

The refusal of the Federal Government to release the reports and constitute White Paper on them was kernel to the prolonged ASUU strikes witnessed in 2020 and 2022.

But Adamu while presenting the reports to the public on Thursday emphasized that the well-being and success of students, faculty, and the Nigerian populace as a whole depended on the effective execution of the recommendations contained in the document.

The Minister said that the exercise plays a pivotal role in ensuring that these institutions of higher education are fulfilling their intended objectives.

Adamu further stated that the release of the documents signifies the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring the highest standards of education and academic excellence in our universities.

He added that it serve as a compass to guide the sector in achieving the objectives set forth by the Federal Government for which the institutions were established.

He said: “I must emphasize that the production of these white papers has demanded significant resources and unwavering effort from the Federal Government.

“The Federal Government has entrusted you with this crucial task, and failure to execute it faithfully will not be taken lightly,” Adamu said.