The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has summoned the Minister of Education, Dr Morufu Alausa over allegations of indiscriminate sacking of vice chancellors of universities.
The committee equally said Alausa was involved in the dissolution of governing councils of universities, according to petitioners.
The chairman of the committee, Rep. Abubakar Fulata (APC- Jigawa), announced the invitation at the committee’s meeting in Abuja.
Fulata said the minister was invited following series of petitions the committee recently received against him.
He said some of the affected universities were Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Nnamdi Azikwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), among others.
The lawmaker said the education sector was currently bedeviled with challenges of unstable leadership as a result of incidences of unilateral decisions on the dissolution of governing councils and removal of substantive vice chancellors.
He cited appointment of acting vice chancellors among others, saying 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 of relevant Acts and provision of the laws.
In his remarks, Prof. Abubakar Kari who led aggrieved staffers of the University of Abuja, said the sacking of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as VC of their university as well as the dissolution of the council on Feb. 6, 2025, came as a surprise to them.
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 said Air Vice Marshal Ismaila Kaita (rtd) was also disengaged as chairman of the council while Sen. Lanre Tejuoso was appointed as the governing council and Prof. Patricia Lar, the acting vice chancellor.
According to Kari the act was 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 to immediately to restore Maikudi and members of the council to serve their terms as elected representatives of the University Senate and Congregation.
Both Maikudi and Kaita told the committee that till date, they were yet to receive any letter regarding their disengagements.
