Education minister usurping UNIPORT council’s powers, ASUU alleges | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
13th November 2020
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) chapter has accused Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu of forcibly taking over the functions of the university’s council.
Chairman of UNIPORT chapter of ASUU, Dr Austen Sado, told journalists in Port Harcourt that the Federal Government’s action was escalating chaos and disharmony at the institution.
Sado said it was disheartening that six months after the Governing Council was dissolved in May 2020, the Federal Government had not constituted another governing council to ensure effective running of the university despite inaugurating some governing councils for Federal universities on 13th July, 2020.
He alleged that the politicisation of the university through Adamu’s actions had exposed the university to manipulation by various interests within and outside the insititution.
ASUU, therefore, vowed to shun the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Stephen Okodudu, if he was planning to remain in office beyond six months as stipulated in the Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act 2003.
The union insisted their its stand was premised on the fact that the Federal Government had refused to constitute a governing council for the institution, which was pivotal to the appointment of a Vice Chancellor, a development the union described as “tacit approval of sole administration in the university.”
“The Government is engineering a crisis in UNIPORT, if it fails to constitute a governing council immediately. We can avoid the impending crisis of legitimacy being orchestrated by the government.
“For emphasis, ASUU will no longer cooperate with an Acting Vice Chancellor beyond January 13, 2021. All well-meaning citizens should synergise to ensure that the Federal Government is not allowed to cause disharmony in our university,” he stated.