–Politicians dictate academic staff recruitment

–ASUU unable to see President Tinubu in 3 years

By Michael Lim,
Jos

The politicisation of academic staff recruitment in Nigerian universities has been criticised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), with the body warning that the development is undermining the quality of tertiary education.

The union also criticised the conversion of non-academic staff to academic positions without following due process.

ASUU Zonal Coordinator for the Bauchi Zone, Prof. Timothy Namo, raised the concerns at a press conference held at the University of Jos.

Namo said the long period without recruitment had created serious gaps in the university system, adding that the situation was being worsened by political interference in the employment of academic staff.

He regretted that governing councils were expected to recruit staff based on established criteria, but politicians no longer allow the process to run smoothly. In his words:

“Senators, members of the House of Assembly and other high-profile politicians would bring in lists of candidates, most of whom would not be qualified to be absorbed as academic staff.”

ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, viewed the development as dangerous to the quality of education in the country.

He said some senior non-academic staff were being moved to the academic cadre without the requisite training and qualifications.

Piwuna stressed that due process must be followed to maintain the standard and effectiveness of the university system.

He also expressed concern over the lack of interaction between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and university lecturers, saying the union had not had an interface with the president for three years.

“It has reached a point as if we are begging to see our president as the body of intellectuals. I think it is the most shameful thing for anybody in government,” he said.

Piwuna urged the federal, state and local governments to redirect their socio-economic policies towards addressing the needs of citizens and prioritise public welfare.

By Michael Lim, Jos

The conversion of non-teaching staff to teaching cadre by some public universities in Nigeria has been condemned by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the President of ASUU, criticised this practice at a news conference on Friday in Jos.

Faulting the process of the conversation, Piwuna said that due process had not been adhered to in the exercise. In his words:

“Our attention has been drawn to the upsurge of Registrars, Bursars and other administrative and technical staff converting to academic staff in public universities without following due process.

“Oftentimes, these categories of staff may claim academic status for the reason of undergoing postgraduate programmes.

“In certain instances, Deputy Registrars with PhD degrees got converted to Lecturer I at the point of entry with personalised salaries.”

He further argued that there were instances of registrars being promoted to senior lecturers or readers on the pretext of presenting questionable publications and records of proxy teaching.

Pieuna maintained however that ASUU was not against the move but advised that due process and merit be followed in conducting such an exercise.

“ASUU finds this trend highly disturbing, and so calls on Vice Chancellors and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to live up to their billing and put a firm stop to the anomaly.

“We are not averse to changing career lines in the universities; however, non-teaching staff who wish to change to the teaching cadre should participate in selection interviews guided by extant conditions and criteria.”

He argued, additionally, that while academic qualifications were a prerequisite for recruitment to lecturership, they were not sufficient.

Further acknowledging the shortage of lecturers in public universities, he however insisted that only qualified persons should be allowed to lecture.

By Seyi Balogun

Parents and other stakeholders are mobilising for a mass protest against the concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, KCOBA, by the Federal Government.

Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association, PTA, Mr Peter Oluwaseye, while speaking to the press over the move, said the protest had become necessary because of the opposition to the concession by virtually all stakeholders. In his words:

“Parents are not in support of the move. Senior civil servants are also saying no to it. The community is also not in support. Old boys should not see the college as their property. They attended the school just like the current students are doing. King’s College is a public property.

“The old students should give to the college willingly, not wanting to take it over. They won’t succeed. There is no private entity that can assemble the type of teachers we have in the college. We say no to concession, whatever guise it is being planned.”

The President of KCOBA, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, had early last month publicly announced the concession of the college to the association.

The old boys also launched a N100 billion endowment fund to reposition the 116-year-old institution.

Among the first donors to the fund were the First Lady of Nigeria, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, who donated N10 million, and Ibrahim-Imam, who donated N1 billion. The former Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Chief Philip Asiodu, and the association’s new Board Chairman, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, also donated N100 million each.

The argument for the concession is said to finance infrastructure renewal, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships, innovation, research and students’ welfare.

Ibrahim-Imam described the development as a defining moment in the history of the college and a potential blueprint for the renewal of public education in Nigeria.

He noted that the arrangement would enable the old students’ association to partner with the government in upgrading the school’s infrastructure, strengthening governance and improving learning outcomes without altering its ownership.

He allayed fears that the government had sold the college to the association, saying it was not a privatisation agreement, saying “Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with government to restore, strengthen, modernise, and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions.

“Today, we gather at a truly defining moment—not merely in the history of King’s College Lagos, but in the continuing evolution of public education in Nigeria. There are occasions that simply mark the passage of time, and there are occasions that redefine history. Today belongs firmly to the latter.

“The approval by the Federal Government of the concession of King’s College Lagos to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association represents one of the most consequential developments since the establishment of our great institution in 1909. For over one hundred and sixteen years, King’s College has stood as one of the most respected symbols of educational excellence on the African continent. It has nurtured generations of exceptional Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in public service, diplomacy, business, academia, medicine, engineering, the military, the judiciary, technology, and virtually every sphere of national life.

“Its graduates have shaped governments. They have built industries. They have transformed communities. They have defended democracy. They have served humanity. Yet, as proud as we are of our history, we have also watched, with growing concern, the gradual deterioration of many of the facilities, systems, and structures that once made King’s College the undisputed standard bearer of secondary education in Nigeria.”

Ibrahim-Imam gave insight into how the journey towards the concession approval began, saying:

“This historic milestone did not happen overnight. It is the culmination of years of careful planning, sustained advocacy, constructive engagement, and unwavering commitment by generations of Kingsmen who refused to accept that decline should define the future of their alma mater.”