The Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, has refused to meet with 43 aggrieved professors and Senate members of the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA), despite initially inviting them for a discussion over their grievances regarding the appointment of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as the institution’s substantive Vice-Chancellor.
Sources revealed that the meeting was scheduled for 2:00 PM on Tuesday, January 28, following mounting pressure on the minister to address the professors’ complaints.
The professors, who are also members of the university’s Senate, arrived at the ministry around 1:30 PM and waited for hours, only to be informed by the minister’s aide that he would not be meeting with them.
“The professors came for the meeting as scheduled, but after waiting for hours, the minister’s aide informed them that he was occupied with another engagement,” a source disclosed. Initially determined to wait indefinitely, the professors later concluded that the arrangement was poorly coordinated.
The crisis stems from the professors’ dissatisfaction with the process that led to Maikudi’s appointment. They had earlier petitioned both President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Education, calling for the dissolution of the university’s Governing Council, which they accused of manipulation and disregard for due process. The professors alleged that the selection of the Vice-Chancellor lacked integrity and fairness.
On December 31, 2024, the University Senate passed a vote of no confidence in the Governing Council, citing irregularities in the appointment process. In a letter dated December 27 and signed by all 43 Senate members, they demanded the council’s dissolution and a fresh appointment process. However, their appeals have so far been ignored.
The latest development—where the minister declined to engage with the aggrieved professors despite extending an invitation—has further fueled concerns about governance and transparency in Nigeria’s higher education system. Many stakeholders now await the federal government’s response to the ongoing controversy at UNIABUJA.
