2023 Elections: ASUU, CONUA Fault FG’s shutting of univarsities; Peter Obi hails directive
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) have faulted the federal government’s directive on the closure of universities in the country.
On Thursday, the regulatory agency for universities in Nigeria, the National Universities Commission (NUC) ordered vice-chancellors to shut universities for three weeks to enable students to participate in the coming elections.
The commission said the directive followed an order by Adamu Adamu, the minister of education.
But speaking in separate interviews ASUU and CONUA kicked against the order.
Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU president, said only the senate of a university has the power to order its closure based on provisions of the law.
Corroborating, Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA’s national president, described the government’s order as a “blanket directive”.
Sunmonu argued that the directive was a breach of university autonomy, adding that such could disrupt the academic calendars of some universities.
This development came a few weeks after the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) had urged the government to close all schools to allow students’ participation in the 2023 general elections.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed delight over the decision of the Nigerian government to close universities across the country ahead of the 2023 general elections.