AFFIRMING the need for quality services, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it would continue to press for autonomy in the nation's universities.
ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Isa Fagge, in an interview in Abuja Monday, also noted that ASUU would, in collaboration with other stakeholders organise a major summit aimed at addressing all the ills in university education.
He said the union was worried by renewed resurgence in the removals of vice chancellors, especially in the states and stressed the need for governors to exercise more caution in the removal and replacement of university heads.
Earlier, the Secretary-General of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, (AVCNU) and immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof. Michael Faborode, expressed similar concerns when he accused some governors of irrationally
Fagge added: "The union has been pushing government towards ensuring that university autonomy is guaranteed, and part of this is that, during the last round of negotiations we had with government, we tried to ensure that university were guaranteed of their autonomy.
"What we have noticed, however, is that there have been breach in the autonomy of the universities, particularly in state universities. Recently, the union insisted that the Federal Government must re-instate sacked councils, and we were able to achieve this, there are some four universities that are likely to get their councils re-instated either this week or next week.
"But the situation is that the Visitors think that the only way they can control the universities, is by violating the provisions of the university autonomy such as sacking councils, removing Vice Chancellors (VC) illegally and then coming out with acting VCs, who can easily be controlled and manipulated.
"The union has always insisted that we should do what is right and this time around, the union is also going to let go, we are going to insist that such Visitors that have violated the provisions of the university autonomy are forced to do what is right and in this light, we are going to liaise with National Universities Commission (NUC) because, it is part of the NUC Act to ensure that there is proper governance structures in the universities, so we are going to liaise with NUC to ensure that, that provision is made in all universities, not only federal, but states and privately owned."
He cited an example of the Rivers State University of Technology (RSUT) where the union has been at loggerheads with Rivers State government over the re-appointment of the VC.
He said despite the efforts of the university authorities to hire outsiders as teaching staff outside the academic staff in the institution, the local chapter of ASUU would continue their strike to press for the removal of the VC there.
The Guardian