The Buhari-led government relieves vice chancellors of 13 Nigerian universities from their duties
– The reason is not named, but the replacements are listed in the official statement
– The development has already caused controversy
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the replacement of 13 vice chancellors of Nigerian universities. Twelve of them are federal ones, and Vincent Tenebe, the vice chancellor of the National Open University, has also been relieved from his position. All these institutions were established by the former president, Goodluck Jonathan.
The statement by Adamu Adamu, the minister of education, does not give an explanation for the action, simply announcing the appointment of new vice chancellors.
Apart from Tenebe, the affected VCs are Mobolaji E. Aluko (Otuoke, Bayelsa), Jibril Amin (Dutse Jigawa), James Ayatse (Dutsin-Ma, Katisina), Mohammed Farouk (Kashere, Gombe), Ekanem Braide (Lafia, Nasarawa), Abdulmumini Rafindadi (Lokoja, Kogi), Oye Ibidapo-Obe (Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi), Isaac Asuzu (Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti), Geoffrey Okogbaa (Wukari, Taraba), Lawal Suleiman Bilbis (Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi), Ben Chuks Okeke (Gusau, Zamfara) and Shehu Abdulrahman (Gasua, Zamfara).
Prof. Kayode Soremekun has been named as the new vice chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti state.
Prof. Auwal Yadudu has been named as the new vice chancellor of the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state.
Prof. Fatima Batoul Muktar is the VC of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa state.
Prof. Haruna Abdu Kaita is the new VC of Federal University, Dutsin Ma, Katsina state.
Prof. Andrew Haruna is the new vice chancellor of the Federal University, Gashua, Yobe state.
Prof. Magaji Garba will now act as vice chancellor in the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara state.
Prof. Alhassan Mohammed Gani of the Institute of Maritime Studies, Federal University, Kashere in Gombe state is the VC of same university.
A lecturer in the Department of Physics, Federal University, Lafia, Prof. Muhammad Sanusi Liman will henceforth be VC of same university.
Prof. Muhammad Sanusi Liman will henceforth be VC of same university.
Prof. Angela Freeman Miri is the new vice chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja.
Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba has been named as the new vice chancellor of the Federal University, Ndifu-Alike, Ebonyi state.
Prof. Seth Accra Jaja of the Department of Management, University of Port Harcourt is now the VC of Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa state.
The development has caused controversy, with a Nigerian human rights organisation, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups (CCSG), demanding the reversal of the sacks. Due process was not followed, the group maintained. The CCSG released a statement saying the action contravenes the provisions of the universities as contained in the 2009 FGN staff union agreement.
