FG backtracks, withdraws the circular ordering varsities to re-open
By Emma Ogbuehi
Few hours after issuing directive to the Vice Chancellors to reopen the universities and resume lectures for students, the federal government has withdrawn the circular.
The Government made the withdrawal through the National Universities Commission (NUC), on Monday afternoon.
The government had in a circular tagged NUC/ES/138/Vol.64/135 addressed to all vice-chancellors; Pro-Chancellors and chairmen of governing councils of federal universities, ordering them to re-open universities.
The circular was signed by the Director, Finance and Accounts of the NUC, Sam Onazi, on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof Abubakar Rasheed.
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However, in another circular tagged NUC/ES/138/Vol.64/136 which was also signed by the Director, Finance and Accounts of the NUC, Onazi, the commission withdrew the order.
The letter tagged, “withdrawal of circular NUC/ES/138/Vol.64/135 dated 23rd September 2022” read in parts, “ I have been directed to withdraw the National Universities Commission (NUC) Circular Ref: NUC/ES/138/Vol.64/135, and dated 23″ September 2022 on the above subject.
“Consequently, the said Circular stands withdrawn. All Pro-Chancellors and Chairmen of Governing Councils, as well as Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities are to please note. Further development and information would be communicated to all relevant stakeholders.
“Please accept the assurances of the Executive Secretary’s warmest regards,” he said.
The directive followed a recent judgement by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), which on September 21, ordered ASUU to suspend its seven-month-old strike.
The judge, Polycarp Hamman, gave the order in a ruling on the federal government’s application for an interlocutory injunction against the ongoing ASUU strike. Hamman, in granting the order, dismissed ASUU’s objection to the application.
Recall that ASUU had embarked on strike since February 14 to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, and a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues.
Several meetings between the Union and the Federal Government have ended in deadlock due to non-agreement on the demands.
The association is demanding from FG the funding of the Revitalisation of Public Universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.
Others are the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.
The federal government went to court to challenge the strike, but the Union insisted it would not resume but appeal the court’s ruling.
Femi Falana, human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), one of the lawyers of the striking lecturers, stated that the National Industrial Court does not have jurisdiction to rule on the case between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
ASUU has subsequently appealed the judgement and applied for stay of execution.