FG directs outgoing Vice Chancellors to hand over to deputies

The Federal Government has directed all Vice Chancellors (VCs) in federal universities who are rounding off their tenure to hand over to their deputies who will temporarily serve as acting vice chancellors. 

This was contained in a letter dated May 28, 2024 to the outgoing vice chancellors, by  the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The letter signed by the acting Executive Secretary of the NUC, Chris Maiyaki, said the move was prompted by a directive from the Federal Ministry of Education, which duly notified the Commission on the end of tenure of some vice chancellors.

While saying the appointment of the acting vice chancellors should be done through the recommendations of the universities’ senates, the NUC said the soon-to-be inaugurated governing councils of the universities would appoint acting vice chancellors after their inauguration.

A copy of the letter obtained by journalists in Abuja reads: “I write, further to previous communication Ref. No. NUC/ES/138/Vol. 65/88 and dated 27 May 2024, to convey the directive of the Federal Ministry of Education, vide its letter Ref. No. FME/TE/CỰ/130/T6/458 and dated 28 May 2024 (copy attached), to the effect that Vice- Chancellors of Federal Universities, who are rounding up their tenures, are to nominate, through the recommendation of their Senates, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor that will oversee the office of the Vice-Chancellor in a temporary capacity.”

Maiyaki said the governing councils, after their inauguration, would appoint acting vice-chancellors for a period not less than 6 months, during which they would commence the process of appointing substantive vice-chancellors.

He said the  circular took pre-eminence over an earlier communication on the same subject.