Beyond sack of 13 Federal University VCs

The recent sack of 13 vice-chancellors of federal universities by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government has further shown the extent to which politics has destroyed every fabric of Nigeria’s life.

It also shows the shenanigans that go on in government circles, perpetrated by political practitioners. Nigeria as a nation is being destroyed by a few politicians to satisfy their whims and caprices. In a bid to implement federal character, operators of power embark on activities that are anti-progress.

For why would a government, for instance, engage in the establishment of universities for the sake of satisfying some political exigencies without as much as following the laid-down rules on how such establishments should be made?

The affected 13 universities have no Act establishing them which was the loophole President Muhammadu Buhari explored to show the vice chancellors the exit door.

We recall that the former administration had embarked on establishment of many universities, which it claimed was part of its achievements. These universities lacked extant laws backing their establishment. Was there any need for some of the universities that have remained unviable years after their creation?

In that dispensation also, the National Universities Commission (NUC) gave approval to many private universities, despite observations by critics that some of such institutions did not merit approval as they were nothing more than glorified secondary schools.

Beyond the raging controversy over the sack of the vice chancellors and their replacement, our concern is on the need for government and institutions empowered to carry certain oversight functions, such as NUC, to be seen to be working in the overall interest of the country.

A point that has remained worrisome in the whole exercise is the appointment of four new vice chancellors from the Bayero University Kano, alone. We wonder what special qualities such dons possess that are not seen in their counterparts in other highly rated universities in other parts of the country.

We also wonder why the past administration could not, through lobby, get the buy-in of the NUC to sponsor a bill to the National Assembly to authenticate the establishment of the new universities and to enact an Act to that effect. We also recall that an attempt by former President, Goodluck Jonathan to rename the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University could not stand because the then president discovered it was futile to make such verbal pronouncement without following the necessary processes. The controversy that greeted the move was so thick that Abuja had to recant.

In the present circumstance, because there were no laws backing neither the establishment of the universities nor the appointment of the vice chancellors, President Buhari did not blink eyelids when he was being buffeted by name-calling as a result of the VCs’ sack. He knew he was well advised on the subject matter and that no law in the land is potent enough to invalidate his decisions.

It is also our considered opinion that the NUC must, as a matter of urgency, review its modus operandi by coming up with clear-cut guidelines for setting up universities. What we have seen so far is a wishy-washy arrangement where quality and due process are sacrificed on the altar of political consideration, cronyism, favouritism and nepotism.

Some decisions taken by government in the past were not in the best interest of the country. A situation where some colleges of education or high schools were elevated to the status of a university without regard to due process but purely to satisfy some political interest was inimical to the educational development of the country. For instance, Alvan Ikoku College of Education was elevated to the status of a university. Today, despite the protest mounted by the students, the present government has prevailed on the authorities to return to status quo ante.

We want to place on record, although we are not privy to all the information available to government on the basis of which it took the step, the use of the word “sack” was too combative for vice chancellors and respectable citizens of this country who had discharged their duties in their appointed capacities for five years, whatever allegations against them, notwithstanding.

We must not throw the baby with birth water. It is APC today; tomorrow another party will be on the stage. As it is said, power is ephemeral and “no condition is permanent”.