The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has condemned the National Universities Commissions’ (NUC) directive to the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities that universities be closed to allow students to vote in the upcoming general elections.
The NUC issued the directive in a letter to all university vice-chancellors and directors of inter-university centers on Tuesday.
The commission noted that the directive was based on the instruction of Adamu Adamu, Minister of Education.
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However, in an interview with The Punch, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, National President of ASUU, explained that universities had never been closed due to elections and that the closure and reopening of universities was the prerogative of university Senates.
He said, “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.”
