Some members of the University of Abuja Senate, on Wednesday, staged a walkout protest during their regular meeting.
SaharaReporters learned that trouble began when a professor raised a point of order after Vice Chancellor Prof. Aisha Maikudi’s opening remark, highlighting the need to add an important item to the meeting agenda for discussion.
While addressing concerns such as the unprovoked attack on Senate members on December 23, 2024, by vigilante group members and the questionable selection process that allowed Aisha Maikudi to succeed herself as Vice Chancellor, the professor was shouted down and his microphone was taken away before he could finish, an insider told SaharaReporters.
Due to the low attendance of Senate members, some of the senators walked out, arguing that the process that appointed Maikudi was flawed and violated the stipulated guidelines for appointing a Vice Chancellor. They asserted that she is illegitimate to preside over the meeting.
The source said: “The Senate of the University of Abuja met today upon notice of regular meeting which was disseminated three days ago to Senate members.
“After the opening remark by Aisha Maikudi, a professor on the floor of the Senate raised a point of order to draw the attention of the Senate to the need to include an important item on the agenda of the meeting for deliberation, namely, the callous attack on Senate members by men of vigilante group in December 2024.
“He also observed that even at that moment, there was an unusual presence of a large number of vigilantes around the Senate Chambers. This ugly development is an indication that there is tension in the University.
“This tension is not unconnected to the deep-seated disaffection of a good number of Senate members on the fraudulent selection process that paved the way for Aisha Maikudi to succeed herself as substantive Vice-Chancellor.
“The professor was shouted down and the microphone taken from him before he could conclude his point order.”
Equally worrisome, the source said was the presence of non-academic staff members in the Senate Chambers, who pretended to be part of the secretariat support in the Senate.
“The poor attendance at today’s meeting also point to the unabating trepidation of a good number of professors about their security at the Senate Chambers.
“Many members of Senate eventually staged a walk out. It is therefore no longer in doubt that the University of Abuja is progressively degenerating into anything other than what a university system should be.”
The source warned that the consequences of the deteriorating situation at the university, if left unaddressed, are better imagined.
The source said, “Already, morale of academic staff is on record low level. Senior professors considered that the foisting of Aisha Maikudi, with only two years post-professorial experience as substantive vice chancellor is a huge disincentive to hard work, commitment to scholarship and patience in academic career of the university.”
A professor who was among the Senate members who staged a walkout told SaharaReporters that there was no protest “but the progressives did quietly leave the meeting because it was militarised with a desired aim”.
“We are waiting for the decisions taken therein,” the don said.
Meanwhile, 43 professors who are members of the University of Abuja have written an open letter to the President Bola Tinubu, who is the visitor to the university, calling for his urgent intervention before the situation gets out of hand.
The open letter is titled: “Anarchy Looms at the University of Abuja over the Illegal Appointment of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as Vice-Chancellor.”
The Senate members called on the President to remove the Chairman of Council, AVM Sadiq Kaita, accusing him of demonstrating gross incompetence and abuse of due process along with the Vice Chancellor, Maikudi so that UNIABUJA can move forward.
They said, “We, the undersigned 43 Professors and members of Senate of the University of Abuja feel compelled to bring to Your Excellency’s attention our concerns regarding the gross irregularities, blatant disregard for due process, violations of relevant laws and regulations, favouritism, abuse of privileges, undue interference, and lack of fairness that marred the selection process for the Vice-Chancellorship of the University of Abuja.
“These lapses culminated in the unfortunate imposition of Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, the least qualified applicant as the substantive Vice-Chancellor. Such events not only undermine the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President but also risk setting a dangerous precedent for other Governing Councils in appointing Vice-Chancellors across Nigerian universities.
“UNIABUJA is now the laughing stock of both the national and international academic communities. This petition is of urgent national importance because the two most important governing and administrative machinery of the University are now completely grounded. These are the Governing Council and the Senate of the University of Abuja.”
They explained that the Council can no longer function effectively because three out of the five federal government appointed representatives have vowed not to have anything to do with the Chairman, AVM Sadiq Ismail Kaita.
They said, “These three external members – Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, Hon. Sabo Bappayo Ahmed and Mrs. Chisom Obih, boycotted the last Council meeting that was scheduled for 5.00pm on New Year’s Eve- December 31, 2024. It was at this oddly and strangely convened meeting that Prof. Aisha Maikudi was hand-picked and foisted as Vice Chancellor on the University.
“In fact, the three external members of Council demanded for the agenda for the meeting but it was never made available to them. As far as these members of Council are concerned, they are unaware and have not been informed of the appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor for UNIABUJA.
“AVM Sadiq Kaita’s apparent leadership failure is also responsible for the failure of the Governing Council to appoint a substantive Registrar for the university after almost seven months.
“This appointment, which is long overdue, is now in limbo because, technically, there is no functional Council in place. Staff promotion and appointment cases are stuck since Council has abdicated its responsibility.”
They also noted that Senate has not been able to meet because the supposed Chairman of Senate suffers from a crisis of legitimacy having been rejected by almost 50 Senate members because of her lack of requisite qualifications and experience for the office.
“Besides, the process that ushered her in was fundamentally flawed morally, legally and administratively,” they said.
“Critical decisions relating to the 2024/2025 admission exercise, approval of students’ results, approval of the academic calendar and other sundry academic issues, which fall under the purview of Senate, have been left unattended to several months after students’ resumption to campus.
“Everything is currently at a standstill and the illegal occupant of the Vice Chancellorship office is busy running from pillar to post, crisscrossing the country – even by chartered flights – lobbying for acceptance and legitimacy from eminent traditional rulers and top politicians.
“UNIABUJA’s meagre resources and taxpayers’ money, which are sometimes beyond the approval limit of the so-called Vice Chancellor, are being recklessly expended on an illegitimate pursuit that will ultimately collapse like a pack of cards.”
After reeling out other infractions, the professors appealed to the President to treat the matter as an urgent national importance.
Source: Sahara Reporters
