The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have kicked against federal government’s closure of all universities in the country for three weeks for the conduct of the coming elections.
The president of the union, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, said in an interview that the minister of education, Mr. Adamu Adamu and the National Universities Commission (NUC) were wrong to have taken such a decision.
Recall that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had in a letter addressed to vice-chancellors and directors of inter-university centres to shut schools down from February 22 to March 14 to allow students to participate in the general election.
NUC stated that the directive followed an order by the minister of education, Mr. Adamu Adamu.
“As vice-chancellors of all universities and directors/ Chief Executive of inter university centres are quite aware, the 2023 General Elections have been scheduled to hold on Saturday 25 February 2023, for the Presidential and National Assembly, and Saturday 11 March 2023 for Gubernatorial and State Assembly, respectively.
“In view of the foregoing and concerns expressed on the security of staff, students and properties of our respective institutions, the Honourable Minister of Education, Mal. Adamu Adamu has, following extensive consultations with the relevant security agencies, directed that all Universities and Inter-University Centres be shut down and academic activities be suspended between 22nd February and 14th March, 2023.
“Consequently, Vice-Chancellors, as well as Directors/Chief Executives of inter-university centres, are by this Circular requested to shut down their respective Institutions from Wednesday 22 February 2023 to Tuesday 14 March 2023.
“Please, accept the renewed assurances of the Executive Secretary’s highest regards for our understanding and unwavering cooperation,” NUC wrote.
Reacting to the development, Osodeke said in an interview that the decision to close down universities or not, and also announce resumption, especially in a situation like the forthcoming general elections rests solely on the senate of each university and not on any minister or his representative.
He said that is what the laws guiding the operations of universities anywhere globally are saying and Nigeria cannot be different.
According to him, that the federal government now unilaterally directed all universities in the country to close down is usurpation of power and an encroachment on the universities’ autonomy.
He said what the federal government should have done in this regard was to ask the senate of every university to examine situation of things and decide if their schools would need to be closed down or not and for how long, rather than for one minister sending NUC to the vice-chancellors to unilaterally issue a memo for closure.
Osodeke said even though the academic staff were denied eight months salaries and yet still working to cover up for the loss time of their last industrial action, closing all universities for another three weeks won’t be a wise decision.
According to him, some universities may not have any reason to close down while some may have and each of them should be allowed to determine that and act accordingly.
He said after all, up to 50 percent of students registered for voter’s permanent cards (PVCs) while in school and wondered how would such huge percentage of potential voters would be able to vote if they should all go home.
He said the Federal government should rescind the decision and leave the rest for the senate of each university to handle.
Similarly, NANS faulted the directive, describing the federal government ordering closure of schools as unfortunate.
Spokesman for NANS, Mr. Temitope Giwa, said students sincerely prefer that their schools remained open during the election.
He explained that the association at different fora in the recent past had maintained that for no reason should higher institutions of learning in the country be hastily closed down again as a response to certain actions.
He said closure of schools at this time does not worth any applause from lovers of education as public universities are still struggling to close up with the lost academic calendar.
He said aside that, some tertiary schools in the country have tens of polling units on their campuses and with so many students registered to vote in those polling units and wondered how would they now cast their votes when they are forced to go home.
“That alone is disenfranchisement in itself and we the students condemn it,” he said.
Giwa said government should rather allow schools to declare a few days as break for their students who would be travelling to their various homes to participate in the election and not completely close down schools.
