By Alex Okoro

OrderPaperToday- Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu has given reasons for the sudden removal of 12 university Vice Chancellors and their immediate replacements.

Adamu told the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education and Services that he acted on President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive and that the replacements were nominated by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adamu, who appeared Tuesday before the Committee, admitted that the candidates appointed for the positions were nominated by the ruling party.

He explained that the President only exercised his powers under Section 3 sub-sections 6 and 7 of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1999 as the visitor to the universities.

According to Adamu, “the candidates appointed for the Vice Chancellor positions were nominated by the party. The President only exercised his powers under Section 3 sub-sections 6 and 7 of the Universities Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1999 on the sack of the five Vice Chancellors”.

He told the Committee that the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan established these universities indiscriminately and that the sacking of five Vice Chancellors was because they were illegally appointed since those institutions were established illegally.

Chairman of the Committee, Aminu Suleiman told the Minister that there were serious concerns by education stakeholders on the manner the vice chancellors were removed.

Suleiman revealed that there were pockets of mass protests on the matter which prompted the House to adopt a motion mandating the Committee to investigate the matter and report back to the Reps.

Not satisfied with the Minister’s position, Suleiman said the law was clear that a Vice Chancellor could only be removed on the grounds of misconduct or inability to perform the functions of his/her office.

“For you to tell me that there are no laws governing these 12 universities is wrong. The only thing you can tell me is that the law is not gazetted. To that extent, it is wrong to have acted on that basis,” he stated.

The Committee subsequently asked the Minister to re-appear before it next week Tuesday, with facts and more convincing reasons for the sack, adding that the Committee has two weeks to submit its report to the House.

Recall that on February 12, 2016, the Federal Government announced the removal of the 12 Vice Chancellors and appointment of their replacements.

While five of the Vice Chancellors were sacked, the other seven were dis-engaged after serving out their tenure.

The development had since been criticised and condemned by stakeholders, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU that said the president’s decision amounted to a violation of the rule of law.

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112 COMMENTS

  5. The minister of Education Adamu Adamu is not qualify or competent to be a minister……. Education ministry suppose to be headed by a prof.

    • Abubakar Magaji that is why Apc will fail since they are doing what PDP did in the past………..U cannot imitate bad thing…..

    • Fidelis Agun, I concur with u now. I only objected to the “now” may God help our country. I felt disappointed when He mentioned that.

  6. So appointment of VAc has equally been politicized. That’s goodbye to quality education. Too bad for us in this our beloved country.

    • Eyaaaaaaa so you still call this zoo your belove country? Eyaaaaaa sorry ooooo. I stand for Biafra and am a Biafran.

    • Yes we did and we are enjoying it. Which education is bye bye? Was there any? So it’s only now that you are realising that vc’s were and are still politicians? Then you missed the presentation of 2015 elections result by a professor from rivers state.

    • Abubakar dont tame this personal, we voted for change, but what are we seeing now, change to worst, may God help us

  13. Thanks God for his grace are we in mintary rule he is looking on us thanks God for his grace in our life he will answer us our doing

  14. Any law that is not gazetted is not binding on anyone so the minister is correct ,it’s just like having a certificate from a department that is not accredited by NBTE or NUC

  22. Sincerely speaking, I support Mr. President in all he’s doing. PDP has every opportunity to move the nation real forward but they prefer to play politics at the expense of national development.

  23. The sacked VCs are they nt pdp VCs. Wich one una dey sef. Did you see one returning officer from Apc during the 2015 Elections. All the VCs jega hired were pdp members. Na our turn be this.

    • Shame about what?Did u expect 2 see pdp nominee there?Dont delude urself is apc turn.Abi after 16yrs of rule what did u expect again!

  27. My dear, the tenure of those Vcs from the nine federal universities has expired b/c they were appointed in 2011 on a 5yrs single tenureship when Prof Rukayatu Rufai was the minister of Education.

    • Njoku stop lieing at your age. many of them have up to two year left . why he allow them to finished their tenure . he violated the civil service act.

  30. Returning officers 2019!! Wow!! Round of applauds for APC!! But don’t you think its too early to start casting your diles? Sometimes the castor never lives to see his result. #reflections and e.g kogi state elections and the almighty abacha!! Nigerian leaders are suppose to have leant from these two men!!

  37. 4 those who did not knw or claim ingnorance of d fact dat.during d last administration.u must b a card carrying member of pdp b4 u can have a godfather that ll make a case 4 u to bcome a VC.and incase u did not knw.jona used his executive power in appointing all those vc.i challenge anybody to cum out wth d process of appointing those vc.u pple shld knw by now.dat we are wiser.although we ar not noice makers.

  38. APC and PDP there can never be different between them bcos APC’s are All Past (PDP) criminals. So Buhari led FG is playing politics with education and future of our children. Tell me then d diff. btw them and PDP.

  39. If we claim to truly change the way things are done then the replacements shouldn’t be party based.
    If PDP did it, and we say it is wrong why support APC for repeating thesame.
    We have a long way to go.

  42. Thanks Victor Raymond Some people don’t Think like that If APC Government say change let their be change all over and stop repeating what PDP did for 16 years

  45. When the change slogan was on, no one cares to ask if it was a positive change or not. This is just the beginning, change indeed.

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  49. A whole minister, Federal Republic of Nigeria embarrassed himself claiming to had taking an order over a list given by a party. What manner of impunity . Do APC even know too well that slogan they chanted CHANGE ?

  50. If pdpigs and igbo people like let them shout and cry they should wait for four years nothing for you people.

  52. Adamu or idamu means problems him papa na Adamu he him self Adamu, mumu apont Adamu defiantly there must be idamu in education Sector shikina

  53. This President has really impressed me. This is the first time in the history of this country that a new government will live the appointees of the previous governments for almost a year. He is just removing them in bits. The day was sworn in, in 1999 was the day he removed the CBN governor. He is very tolerant and mature. Kudos to him.

  55. Oruko lo n ro omo Adamu and idamu na thesame idamu means problem in yoruba language and when a mumu president appoint Adamu what do u expect

  56. The minister should resigns for violating the civil service act. All of them have up to two years left in their tenure . why sacking . Are we in military era?

  58. Guys commenting on what they know nothing about. Please take out some time to read the link. The comments of the Chairman of Senate Committee is very important – he knows what he’s talking about … the Minister knows nothing about University administration.

    • Sorry sir I don’t normally comment on things like this but I heard the minister for education said so yesterday that president did that because of party request

  63. Buhari is a locality of illiteracy as such he is incurably any enemy to Educational Advancement !

  64. Sometimes i wonder how people comment on this platform,visitor to any university under law can fire and hire! You need to go to some of this glorified secondary schools refering to as federal university and u will appreciate the political settlement jonathan did with these schools.

    • Why are you running away from the real issue…….politicizing the educational sector. By the way the university you attended assumed it’s status the year it was established…….that’s if you even attended one

  70. My problem with this is not APC or PDP since we all agree that the way PDP run this country for 16 years is bad why are now suporting APC for doing that the same we claim that is bad for this country, we have to be care full with thus we cannot move forward in this country so if person is in position and he is doing great and he don’t belong your party the person should removed with this kind of thing how are we going to move forward.

  71. Can u remember that Prof Ewa, former minister for science and technology during Jonathan’s govt was disgraced samely when he was presenting his ministry’s achievement to d house committee on science and technology? Wasn’t he a Prof? Did we kill him?

  73. No violation at all Ask Former CBN Governor Sanusi, how GEJ revomed him where was the Civil Service Rule. Kudos PMB he even allowed them for a year.

  75. APC nominees are human beings now.wil you bring your enermie that critise you in your government. ? like most igbos that are fighting for their country did not stop the government to grab most igbos that supports the government.so many wil smile and so many might die because of anxieties of not gaining anything from the government

  76. Four years will never bring an Igbo down but will rather impoverish further the already down dessert people. That’s the character of party they wrongly voted. Sorry Nigeria.

  77. All these hausas saying nonesense are all fools. Both you and your president can’t buy me a meal so I have right to say what I want. Thunder will fire all of you.

  78. Reading through the piece, i have a strong doubt about the authenticity of the report considering the level of imaginary news being churned out nowadays. The appointment of a vice Chancellor is regulated by an internal machinery whereby applications are taken from suitable professors within and outside the institution. The aspirants are subjected to extensive screening and the best three are shortlisted, sent to Government who now pick one. Summarily, the appointment is based primarily on merit while party affiliation is helpful to the extent that you are among the best three. However, if truly a minister gave such answer, he’s unfit to be my village gateman.

  79. He said the truth about the subject matter. He came to serve and not to share and eye service is not allowed.

    • Isa just watch how your name sound like chimpanzee. i believe your one of the local champion in your Alamajiri zone.the worst is your surname madaki,i am just imaging how your black face look like.to summarize you,your an African he goat.

    • Isa just watch how your name sound like chimpanzee. i believe your one of the local champion in your Alamajiri zone.the worst is your surname madaki,i am just imaging how your black face look like.to summarize you,your an African he goat.

  83. By this singlar act of bringing politics into our already bad educational system it is now clear that education has gone from bad to worse beyond redemption.

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