The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, yesterday, called on Governor Godwin Obaseki to ensure a neutral, competent and experienced governing council for AAU, Ekpoma.
The union cautioned that a governing council that is not neutral, competent and experienced in university administration may exacerbate the current crises in the university.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Chairman and Assistant Secretary of ASUU, AAU, Ekpoma Chapter, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. Willam Odion, respectively, and made available to newsmen in Benin City, Edo State.
The ASUU leaders said that the union’s statement is informed by recent hints about the expected announcement of a governing council for the university by the Edo State Government.
It also advised the state government to be guided by the university’s law, as well as relevant rules and regulations on membership of the governing council, especially concerning academic qualification and relevant experience.
The union said: “As a result, no member of the current controversial, expired and discredited Special Intervention Team (SIT) of the university should make membership of the governing council expected to be constituted by the visitor.
“It would amount to robbing the proposed new governing council of neutrality if any member of the SIT is included in the new council.
“The current university management, led by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. AsomwanSonnieAdagbonyin, who has acted for more than two years (Since February 2022) in clear violation of the university’s law, rules and regulations should also give way to a new crop of principal officers.”
According to ASUU, this will strengthen the credibility, neutrality and fairness required of both the university management and the council by staff, students and other stakeholders of the university.
The union maintained that the minimum academic qualification for membership of a university’s governing council is a university bachelor’s degree and vast knowledge of university governance and administration, particularly for a chairman of the council.
The union called for the independence of the proposed governing council and cautioned that undue government interference would rubbish the relevance of the council and fester the ongoing crises in the university.
