…Jega, Yayale, Abacha, Yuguda, make list
President Bola Tinubu has appointed former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, former Bauchi Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, and former INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, and others to serve in the newly released list of federal universities’ Governing Councils.
Others who made it to the lists include Alhaji Muhammad Abacha, son of late Head of State Sani Abacha; Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma; Prof. Munzali Jibril; Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN; Sen Joy Emordi and Prof Julius Okojie, among others.
The list comprises five names each for 50 universities, 37 polytechnics and 24 colleges of education.
The appointments came a few days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had threatened to embark on another strike, citing failure of the Federal Government to appoint Governing Councils for federal universities after one year of dissolving the ones on ground.
The selected individuals are to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards of the 111 federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
This was contained in an advertorial by the Federal Ministry of Education in one of the national dailies signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack.
According to the advertorial, “The inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will take place on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Both events will commence at 9am daily.”
ASUU, in Africa Health Report (AHR) earlier publication had said the varsities are operating illegally without the councils, emphasising, “This is the only country in the world where universities are allowed to function for one week without a governing council which ought to control the activities and spending of the universities.”
