Tinubu appoints 555 to tertiary institution boards to avert crisis

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointments of at least 555 persons to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of governing boards of 111 federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.

This followed Tinubu’s assent to a list of nominees selected by the Ministry of Education through an advertorial signed by Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the ministry’s permanent secretary.

“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 9:00am daily,” said Walson-Jack.

The statement showed the appointment of a chairperson and four members for each of the tertiary institutions.

Bayo Onanuga, the President’s special adviser on information and strategy told journalists that the list of the pro-chancellors/chairmen and members of governing boards of the various higher institutions originated from the Ministry of Education.

“This is from the Federal Ministry of Education, they make the nominations and forward them to the President to sign. But they are at liberty to release it from their end,” Onanuga said.

The appointments which is made public on Saturday, May 18, 2024 is coming few days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) gave notice of going on another strike should the federal government fail to harken to the union’s plead.

The strike warning was however seen as a setback to the already battered academic calendar and a potential threat that could worsen learning drive of many Nigerian students in the university should ASUU make real its warning.

The lecturers had on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 complained the failure of the federal government to appoint governing councils for federal universities.

The union also criticised the President Bola Tinubu-led administration on what it described as the indifferent attitude towards matters about academics in federal universities.

ASUU also faulted the 35 percent salary increment for professors and the 25 percent salary increment for other academics in the university system during a briefing at the University of Abuja.