The Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) has rejected the appointment of Professor Jeremiah Jonathan Atungwu, a university academic, as Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan.
The union described the decision as a violation of the advertised criteria for the position and an affront to the integrity of the selection process.
ASUCA’s Acting National President, Williams Manggoel, stated the union’s position while addressing journalists in Jos, Plateau State, on Thursday.
According to him, the job advertisement, published in the Nigerian Tribune on November 15 2024, clearly stipulated that only candidates holding the rank of Assistant Director, Associate Professor, or Principal Lecturer from National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) or Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs) were eligible.
Manggoel argued that Professor Atungwu, being from a university background, did not meet the stated requirements and should not have been shortlisted for the role.
He recalled that ASUCA had, in 2020, officially communicated its objection to the appointment of university professors as Provosts or Chief Executive Officers of colleges of agriculture to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN). He emphasised that leadership in such institutions should arise from within the system.
“The Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture, ASUCA, wishes to express its strong objection to the recent appointment of a University Professor as the Provost/CEO, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan,” Manggoel stated.
“This came as a surprise considering the advertisement in national newspapers (Nigerian Tribune, November 15 2024), which specifically indicated the qualification/eligibility is for Assistant Director, Associate Professor or Principal Lecturer from National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) and Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCA).”
The union warned that such appointments demoralise in-system academic staff and stifle their career progression.
ASUCA also criticised a recent job advertisement for the post of Provost/CEO at the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, which listed university Associate Professors among eligible candidates. The union stated that this contradicted existing agreements and endangered the unique identity and autonomy of agricultural colleges.
Additionally, the union accused the supervising ministry and ARCN of negligence or misinformation in addressing the Scheme of Service (SOS) and Conditions of Service (COS) for staff of FCAs and related institutions. It criticised the continued reliance on the outdated 2004 version, citing its detrimental impact on staff development and morale.
Despite sustained efforts since 2020 and contributions from relevant stakeholders, ASUCA said the delay in approving a revised SOS/COS indicated a lack of commitment. It rejected the explanation given by the Office of the Head of Service regarding content conflicts across agencies as unconvincing.
The union called for an immediate reversal of the Provost’s appointment at FCA, Ibadan; the withdrawal and correction of the Vom college advertisement; and concrete evidence of progress on the new SOS/COS from the Head of Service.
ASUCA reiterated that leadership in agricultural colleges should emerge from within the system to safeguard the institutions’ structure and preserve their identity.
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