By Sule Aliyu Bauchi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has demanded the immediate resignation of a former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, as Governing Council Chairman of the National Open University, over his statements at a recent public hearing held at the National Assembly, on the conversion of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi from that of Technology to a conventional one.
The union questions the former Governor’s competence, integrity and commitment to nation building and national security.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Union’s Secretariat in Bauchi, the Chairperson, ASUU, ATBU Bauchi Branch, Dr. Angulu Haruna, quoted Yuguda, at the end of the public hearing while addressing the media, as saying that: ‘any person who is against turning the University into a conventional University is a criminal.’
He said that the Union found the outbursts of Yuguda, a former Minister of Aviation, against a system he has been entrusted to superintend, by President Bola Tinubu, as disappointing and this raises questions about his competence, integrity and commitment for nation building and national security.
According to him, “Mallam Isa Yuguda while addressing the media criminalized anybody who is not in support of the Bill, as he puts it, ‘any person who is against turning the University into a conventional University is a criminal.’
“The former Governor was not happy with the Professors who spoke against the said Bill because of its violation of the University autonomy and in registering his frustration he exclaimed that ‘who the hell are Professors for goodness sake!’
“Mallam Isa Yuguda ought to know that attending a public hearing at the National Assembly is a legitimate right of citizens. It is therefore appalling and unfortunate for a former Chief Executive of a State to criminalize people who exercise their rights in a legislative procedure.
“Moreso, ASUU is concerned that Mallam Isa Yuguda who is a Pro-chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) displayed total disregard to the crème dela crème of the University, Professors, and as such belittle the domain he is entrusted by the President of Nigeria to superintend; this has called to question his competence, integrity and commitment for nation building and national security,” he said.
He declared that: “It is against this backdrop that our Union is calling on Mallam Isah Yuguda to publicly withdraw his statement and quietly resign from his position as Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). You cannot preside over system you hold with such disappointing contempt.”
Haruna said that the Union wishes to remind the public that ATBU’s College of Medical Sciences had commenced much earlier before the former Governor’s intervention, pointing out that: “it is also on record that Bauchi State Government handed over the former State Specialist Hospital to Federal Government and was compensated, the proceeds of the exchange were what the former Governor used in developing other places especially the State Specialist Hospital along Ran road.
“Therefore, his claim that he laboured for the establishment of College of Medical Sciences in ATBU, Bauchi, is not true, rather his administration benefitted from its creation.”
According to the ASUU Chairperson, as if Yuguda’s outburst was not enough, another “disturbing affront and threats” to the University Autonomy and Professors was displayed by Alhaji Ladan Salihu, a seasoned journalist, an administrator and a former Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), a former Chief of Staff to Bauchi state government, who, after the public hearing, released a video message condemning the entire University team and the National Universities Commission (NUC) for opposing the Bill.
He added that more worrisome is Hon. Ladan Salihu’s statement that “those who are in opposition to the Bill are the biggest enemies of the people of Bauchi State.”
Haruna said: “The Union finds it very disturbing that these individuals who are supposed to be conversant with the Law, will pretentiously openly attack the ATBU Bauchi team who exercised their rights in the recently conducted public hearing by the National Assembly on a Bill proposing to change the mandate of ATBU Bauchi.
“ASUU as a Union of intellectuals that is in the forefront of championing the good course of public university global competitiveness and the well-being of the nation, is worried with the blatant affronts on the University Autonomy and threats to Professors, ATBU Bauchi Governing Council, and the University Administration because of their position in holding to the dictates of the laws governing public universities.
“ASUU-ATBU, Bauchi therefore, call the attention of the Executive Secretary of NUC, the Honourable Minister of Education, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State and the President of Nigeria, who is the visitor of the University to note the affronts and threat on the University and, take action to protect ATBU, Bauchi and the lives of the Professor before things get out of hand.”
