Tinubu appoints Yayale, Yuguda, Jega, others into varsities’ governing councils

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, former Bauchi Governor, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, and former INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, and others to serve in the newly released list of federal universities’ Governing Councils.

Others who made it to the lists include Alhaji Muhammad Abacha, son of late Head of State Sani Abacha; Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma; Prof. Munzali Jibril; Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN; Sen Joy Emordi and Prof Julius Okojie, among others.

The list comprises five names each for 50 universities, 37 polytechnics and 24 colleges of education.

The selected individuals are to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of Governing Boards of the 111 federal universities, polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

This was contained in an advertorial by the Federal Ministry of Education in one of the national dailies signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack.

According to the advertorial, “The inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will take place on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Both events will commence at 9am daily.”

The appointments came a few days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had threatened to embark on another strike, citing failure of the Federal Government to appoint Governing Councils for federal universities after one year of dissolving the ones on ground.

The union had said the varsities are operating illegally without the councils, saying, “This is the only country in the world where universities are allowed to function for one week without a governing council which ought to control the activities and spending of the universities.”

However, the Federal Government College Kano was listed among the nation’s public universities as Federal University of Education Kano and this has left members of staff of the institutions more confused on whether they are universities or still a college of education.

Barrister AU Mustapha (SAN) is named pro-chancellor and chairman, while Hajiya Zainab Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar Kusfa, Aysha Ahmad Mohammed and Fatima Ahmed Juddun are members of the newly constituted governing council for Federal University of Education, Kano.

However, academic staff of the institution said they are confused over the new status because there was no official communication from the Federal Ministry of Education.

An FCE Kano staff member who craved anonymity said: “We are equally confused about the whole thing. FCE has been accredited to run NCE and degree programmes concurrently but there is no official instrument as regards the upgrade to a University of Education.”

He said things will get clearer when the governing council is inaugurated later.

Recall that on May 20,2015 the Federal Executive Council chaired by then President Goodluck Jonathan approved the upgrade of 4 federal colleges of education to universities of education.

Ibrahim Shekarau, then Education Minister, told state house correspondents that the upgrade was to ensure quality teacher education in the country.

Meanwhile, a source close to the ministry said the FGC Zaria has been operating a dual mode system which is against the law. He said they went behind the authority to get approval from the Senate.

He said there is no way they can have a Provost and a Vice Chancellor, adding that only the federal government has the power to decide if the colleges are now universities.

Meanwhile, when contacted, the Director of Press at the federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, said she believed the federal government has not made any mistake in the list, being the final authority.