Education Minister Morufu Alausa has been called before the House of Representatives Committee on University Education in response to allegations of indiscriminately firing vice-chancellors.
Additionally, the committee said that Alausa was responsible for the dissolution of university governing bodies. This declaration was made at a meeting in Abuja by Abubakar Fulata (APC-Jigawa), the chairman of the committee.
According to Fulata, the committee has recently received several petitions against the minister, making his appearance crucial.
He stated that the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, and Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education in Owerri were among the universities impacted.
The congressman reportedly stated that the education sector is presently dealing with difficulties brought on by unsteady leadership, which resulted from unilateral actions to dissolve governing councils and remove substantive vice-chancellors.
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Among other things, he brought attention to the cases of acting vice-chancellors.
According to Fulata, these kinds of uncertainties pose a serious risk to the industry since they could lead to needless conflict among university administrators.
He cautioned that this could lead to the abuse of pertinent laws and provisions and endanger the tenure and stability of the educational system.
Abubakar Kari, a representative of the University of Abuja’s concerned staff, said that they were taken aback by Aisha Maikudi’s removal from her position as vice-chancellor and the council’s dissolution on February 6, 2025.
The issue was denounced by Kari in response to a petition entitled “Unwarranted Removal of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as Vice-Chancellor and Dissolution of Governing Council of University of Abuja.”
He added that Patricia Lar was named acting vice-chancellor, Senator Lanre Tejuoso was appointed to the governing council, and Air Vice Marshal Ismaila Kaita (retd) was also removed from his role as council chairman.
Kari claims that these acts were against the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Amendment Act n2003, which clearly specifies how a vice-chancellor can be removed.
He said that the only body with the power to fire a vice-chancellor is a university’s governing council.
In addition to ensuring that council members serve out their tenure as elected representatives of the University Senate and congregation, he requested the lawmakers to intervene and swiftly restore Ms. Maikudi to her post.
Ms. Maikudi and Mr. Kaita told the committee in their separate remarks that they had not yet received any correspondence about their termination.
