The University of Abuja branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has begun an indefinite strike to draw attention to developments bordering the union.
The union announced its decision to embark on the strike on Thursday at the end of its congress, held at the Permanent Site of the institution.
Members of the UniAbuja ASUU have been at loggerheads with the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’allah, and the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman over the processes for the appointment of a new VC.
An advertorial that surfaced in a national daily on March 15, 2024, sought a replacement for Na’Allah.
However, ASUU members, in a conference, rejected the ad, declared it “illegal,” and stated that it was not from the governing council.
The Chairman, UniAbuja ASUU, Sylvanus Ugoh, said the Universities Miscellaneous Provision Act 1993 as amended; 2003 and 2012 (Section 3, subsections 1 and 2) empowers only the governing council to advertise the VC’s seat when declared vacant.
He argued that no other organ or individual is legally vested with the power to initiate the procedure of appointing a successive VC.
“You will recall that the university administration placed an advert on the vacancy of the post of a Vice-Chancellor on Friday 15th March 2024,” Ugoh had said.