Colleges of Agriculture union rejects university professor’s provost appointment in Ibadan

The Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) has rejected the recent appointment of Jeremiah Jonathan Atungwu, a university professor, as the provost and CEO of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, describing it as a violation of the advertised requirements for the role.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday in Jos, Plateau State, Williams Manggoel, acting national president of ASUCA, said that the appointment undermines the integrity of the selection process.

Manggoel said that the job advertisement, which appeared in the Nigerian Tribune on November 15, 2024, clearly stated that eligible candidates must be assistant directors, associate professors, or principal lecturers from National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) or Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCA). He said that the appointed professor, being from a university, did not meet the basic criteria and should not have been shortlisted.

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He recalled that ASUCA had previously objected to the appointment of university professors as provosts/CEOs in colleges of Agriculture, a position that was clearly communicated to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) in 2020.

“The Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) wishes to express its strong objection towards:
The recent appointment of a University Professor as the Provost/CEO, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan.

“This came as a surprise considering the advertisement in national newspapers (Nigerian Tribune, 15th November, 2024) which specifically indicated the qualification/eligibility is for Assistant Director, Associate Professor or Principal Lecturer from National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) and Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCA),” he stated.

The union maintains that such appointments demoralise in-system academic staff and discourage their career progression.

ASUCA also condemned the recent advertisement for the Provost/CEO position at the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, which included university associate professors as eligible candidates.

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According to the union, the advert contradicts previous agreements and threatens the unique structure and autonomy of agricultural colleges.

The union accused the supervising ministry and ARCN of being misinformed or negligent in handling the issue of the Scheme of Service (SOS) and Conditions of Service (COS) for staff of FCAs and related institutions. ASUCA said the continued reliance on the outdated 2004 version has negatively impacted staff development and morale.

They stated that the delay in approving a new SOS/COS, despite efforts since 2020 and input from stakeholders, shows a lack of commitment. The union said the reason cited by the Office of the Head of Service, conflict of content across agencies, is not convincing and demanded urgent intervention.

The union called for an immediate reversal of the provost appointment at FCA, Ibadan; withdrawal and correction of the Vom College advertisement; and tangible proof of progress on the new SOS/COS from the Head of Service.
They emphasised that leadership in agricultural colleges should come from within the system to preserve its identity.