Stakeholders seek sack of Fed varsities’ Councils

By Stanley Onyekwere

Following President Bola Tinubu’s approval for the immediate dissolution of all boards, and Councils of all Federal Government’s parastatals and Corporation, Some stakeholders and experts in the education sector are insisting that all Governing Councils of Federal Universities across the country must be included.
While commending the move as a timely positive decision, some of the experts said the Universities Councils should not be considered in the exception clause, derived from the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 ( i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
They also argued that if the President is interested in proffering lasting solutions to the problems of education in Nigeria, he should beam his searchlight on the governing council, as most have become springboard for corruption.
An educational researcher, Abednego Silverstone, opined that a relevant provision in the Act establishing the Councils, also supports the idea of sacking them, in an event they are “ found to be incompetent and corrupt “.
Silverstone charged the President to remain resolute and intentional in addressing the obvious challenges affecting university system and standard of education in Nigeria.
Available checks revealed that many of the Councils members were going outside their mandate, and were interfering with day-to-day running of Universities, thereby hampering progress with inordinate conflicting interests.
Also, an insider source, who pleaded anonymity, called on the President to sack the Councils and reconstitute them, appointing only those with proven track record and can add value to the system.
Furthermore, it was disclosed that most of the members in many Universities Councils, have not made any significant contributions towards the growth of education, simply because they are hugely bereft of relevant knowledge.