The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused politicians and contractors of influencing the appointment of vice-chancellors in Nigerian universities.
In a statement by its President, Christopher Piwuna, ASUU cited the case of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Imo State, where it alleged attempts to reinstate an acting Vice-Chancellor whose academic promotions were questionable. The union said similar issues were happening in other federal universities. ASUU lamented the poor welfare of lecturers, who teach and research with little pay and inadequate resources. It warned that government neglect was demoralising academics and harming the quality of education.
The union criticised the Federal and State Governments for failing to honour collective bargaining agreements, including the long-delayed renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU deal. ASUU urged Nigerians to press the government to resolve all outstanding issues to avoid another nationwide strike in public universities.
