Senior professors at the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) have expressed their outrage over the minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa’s refusal to meet with them regarding the vice-chancellor appointment crisis.
The professors, numbering over 43, lamented that despite multiple attempts to secure a meeting with the minister, they have been left frustrated as the situation continues to deteriorate without intervention.
Speaking in an interview with LEADERSHIP following their neglect at the Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday, one of the professors, Prof. Edmund Joseph Nwana, expressed frustration over being repeatedly denied a meeting despite three attempts.
He emphasised the urgency of involving senior professors to address the deteriorating situation at the university, particularly the breakdown of irregularities in the appointment of the vice chancellor.
According to him, they left a note on Tuesday in the hope of being contacted by the minister.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the minister of Education, Alausa, had invited the aggrieved professors for a meeting over their complaints regarding the protest against the appointment of Prof. Aisha Maikudi as the substantive Vice-Chancellor, but eventually refused to meet with them.
The meeting was scheduled for 2:00 PM on Tuesday, January 28.
However, after over 15 professors had arrived and waited for hours, the minister’s aide later came to inform them that their principal would not meet with them.
“The professors came around 1:30pm.on Tuesday for a meeting with the minister. Unfortunately, after waiting for hours, the minister’s aide came and told them that the minister was in another meeting, so he couldn’t meet with them.
“Initially, the professors insisted that they would wait even if it would be until midnight. But later, they came to understand that the arrangement was not well-coordinated.
“We couldn’t meet with the minister again. The process was not well-coordinated,” it was gathered from one of the sources.
It would be recalled that the professors had written to the minister and even President Bola Tinubu since December 27, 2024, and also on January 7, 2025.
The petitioners specifically criticized the council’s handling of the vice chancellor appointment process, which they claim was marred by irregularities and a disregard for due process.
They urged President Tinubu to take immediate action to address the situation and restore the integrity of the university’s governance.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, Prof. Nwana said, “We have been coming here, this is our third attempt, and we have left documents for the minister.”
He urged the minister to meet with the senior professors from the Senate before things get out of hand on the campus.
“They keep avoiding us. They have not allowed us in, so we are leaving this note. I’m hoping that they will call us,” he said.
Also speaking, Prof. Waziri expressed hope that the meeting would be rescheduled.
“We could not see the Minister because yesterday was the day he had scheduled to see heads of parastatals of his Ministry. So it’s going to be rescheduled, either Thursday or so.”
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