Elections: VCs, ASUU Disagree As FG Shuts Varsities
Afimag.com –
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has denounced the decision of the National Universities Commissions (NUC) to shut down higher institutions in the country over the forthcoming general elections.
The NUC had directed that all universities in the country be shut down between February 22 to March 14, 2023 to enable students exercise their franchise during the elections.
Reacting to the development, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed his displeasure, noting that universities had never been shut down because of elections.
He said that the closure and opening of universities were at the preference of universities’ Senates.
“Vice-Chancellors do not have the right to close universities. It is purely the prerogative of the universities’ Senates to either open or close universities.
“Things have gone so bad in this country that they are citing security and for this reason, we, as a union, had to look on. In all the past elections, have we ever closed the universities, polytechnics? So, what has gone wrong? Why the desperation? Why are they punishing Nigerians? We need to ask Nigerian leaders questions because we are trying to meet up with lost time and here you are shutting down universities.”
In his opinion, the Secretary-General, CVCNU, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, differed from the ASUU President, recalling that Nigeria had always shut down universities during elections.
“It is nothing new, most public universities get closed during elections because many of them housed polling units and universities and their communities always vote on campuses.
“Two reasons why universities are shut down during elections are so as not to disenfranchise the people and to give opportunity to those who registered away from the university to be able to vote. It is something universities have been doing as far as I can remember; so this is not new.
“The directive is coming from our regulatory body, NUC; it is for universities to see how they can manage it and it is the VCs that will internalise it.”