The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has summoned education minister Morufu Alausa over allegations of indiscriminate sacking of vice-chancellors.
The committee equally claimed that Mr Alausa was involved in the dissolution of governing councils of universities. The chairman of the committee, Abubakar Fulata (APC-Jigawa), announced the invitation at the committee’s meeting in Abuja.
Mr Fulata said the appearance of the minister was necessary due to a series of petitions the committee recently received against him.
He stated that some of the affected universities included Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The lawmaker said that the challenges of unstable leadership currently bedevilled the education sector, resulting from incidents of unilateral decisions on the dissolution of governing councils and the removal of substantive vice-chancellors.
He also noted the cases of appointment of acting vice-chancellors, among others.
Mr Fulata said that such uncertainties posed a great danger to the sector, as they could build unnecessary disharmony among university officials.
According to him, this could potentially ruin the tenure and stability of the education system and abuse relevant acts and provisions of the laws.
Abubakar Kari, who led the aggrieved staff of the University of Abuja, stated that the sacking of Aisha Maikudi as VC of their university, as well as the dissolution of the council on February 6, 2025, came as a surprise to them.
Mr Kari, who spoke on a petition tagged ‘Unwarranted Removal of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as Vice-Chancellor and Dissolution of Governing Council of University of Abuja’, decried the incident.
He stated that Air Vice Marshal Ismaila Kaita (retd) was also disengaged as chairman of the council, and Senator Lanre Tejuoso was appointed to the governing council, while Patricia Lar was appointed as the acting vice-chancellor.
According to Mr Kari, the actions were against the provisions of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Amendment Act 2003, which clearly states how and why VC should be removed.
He explained that only the governing council of a university has the power to remove a vice-chancellor.
He appealed to the legislators to intervene and immediately restore Ms Maikudi to her position, as well as to ensure that members of the council serve their terms as elected representatives of the University Senate and congregation.
In their separate presentations, Ms Maikudi and Mr Kaita told the committee that, to date, they had not received any letter regarding their disengagement.
