SaharaReporters earlier reported that the government directed vice-chancellors to re-open universities and allow students to resume lectures immediately.
The committee of vice-chancellors of Nigerian universities has revealed that they would meet on Tuesday to decide on the government’s directive to them to reopen their schools for academic activities.
The meeting was confirmed by Prof Yakubu Ochefu, Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, in an exclusive interview with Tribune on Monday. He stated that the meeting would allow them to jointly decide on the instruction.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the government directed vice-chancellors to re-open universities and allow students to resume lectures immediately.
The government issued the directive through the National Universities Commission (NUC), and a letter signed by its Director, Finance and Accounts, Sam Onazi, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof Abubakar Rasheed.
The letter on Monday was reportedly addressed to all vice-chancellors; Pro-Chancellors and chairmen of governing councils of federal universities.
“Ensure that ASUU members immediately resume/commence lectures; Restore the daily activities and routines of the various University campuses,” the letter partly reads.
Reacting, Prof Yakubu claimed that the committee had verified that the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Abubakar Raseed, who is not in the country, was represented by the Director of Finance and Accounts who signed the letter.
He said whenever such a letter was received, both vice-chancellors and the pro-chancellors of universities would convene a joint meeting to review the letter and then take a position.
He said now the meeting would take place hopefully, tomorrow (Tuesday) or on Wednesday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the meeting was concerned only with the federal universities since the federal government was not the proprietor of the state-owned universities and more so that their proprietors have already told them what to do.
The Federal Government had dragged ASUU to the National Industrial Court and asked it to compel the union to call off its seven months old strike that has paralysed the academic activities in the nation’s public universities.
The court had, however, granted the prayer last Wednesday by ordering the lecturers to go back to work but ASUU did not satisfy with the court’s position and therefore challenged the order at the Appellate Court.