The Federal Government is yet to inaugurate the governing councils of the University of Abuja and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, four months after it appointed members into the schools’ new governing councils.

New governing boards of federal tertiary institutions are always sworn in by the Minister of Education, after appointments by the President and Visitor to the schools.

The government’s inability to carry out the inauguration function has prevented members of the boards from meeting formally, four months after their appointments,Vanguard has gathered.

The boards are supposed to formally meet to activate the processes of appointing new vice chancellors but the failure of government to carry out the inauguration assignment has prevented them from their constitutional mandate.

There is disquiet in the two universities, given that the new substantive vice chancellors of the institutions are expected just in seven weeks from now.

“The government boards cannot activate the processes of appointing new vice chancellors without their official inauguration, else any actions carried out by them would be deemed illegal and we don’t want to be caught in another round of crisis, given the circumstances that led to the dissolution of the former governing councils,” a source told Vanguard.

In making appointment of vice chancellors, the government boards are expected to strictly comply with the relevant provisions of the two main acts guiding the appointments- the University Act and the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Act 2003,No1 of 2007.

One of the first major steps stipulated in the Act is that universities must initially advertise the position of the Vice Chancellor three months to the expiration of tenure of the sitting vice chancellors.

However, this has not been done in the two universities barely seven weeks to the expiration of tenure of the acting vice chancellors of both the University of Abuja and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had on February 6, 2025, announced major leadership changes at the University of Abuja, now renamed Yakubu Gowon University and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

The president’s action followed crisis that trailed the appointments of the vice chancellors by their governing councils.

At the renamed Yakubu Gowon University, President Tinubu dissolved the entire governing council and relieved Air Vice Marshall Saddiq Kaita (retd) led governing council as well as Prof. Aisha Maikudi, as Vice-Chancellor.

To replace her, President Tinubu appointed Prof. Lar Manko as the acting Vice-Chancellor for a six-month term. Manko will not be eligible to apply for the permanent position when it becomes available.

At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the president removed Prof. Polycarp Chigbu from his position as acting Vice-Chancellor ahead of his tenure’s expiration on February 14.

He appointed Prof. Oguejiofu Ujam as the new acting Vice-Chancellor for six months, with the same restriction of ineligibility for the permanent position. (Vanguard)