Adeyemi College of Education Workers Protest FG’s Delay to Upgrade School to University

Fidelis David in Akure

The Joint Staff Unions of the Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, yesterday protested against the delay in upgrading the institution to Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo (AFUED).

The union also demanded that the Official Gazette on the institution should be fully implemented with immediate effect.

The protesting non-teaching staff unions were seen carrying placards with inscriptions as “Give us our Vice Chancellor,” “Adeyemi is now a University, Complete the process,” “Adeyemi Federal University of Education appeals for the Appointment of a Vice Chancellor,” “Presidency give us our VC,” “All we are saying is give us Vice Chancellor,” “No more provost again,” among others.  

It should be recalled that the immediate takeoff of the university as established by the Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should have happened since December 23, 2021, when the bill was accented into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

But according to the protesters, the college of education no longer exists in the law and Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo ought to have taken effect from December 23, 2021 but the governing council of ACE, Ondo, was using its will to delay the takeoff of the university.

In a combined communiqué issued at the end of their peaceful protest by the Chairman of the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN), Mr. Cletus Oguayo; the Chairman of National Association of Academic Technologists of Nigeria (NACEATON), Mr. Felix Akinnate, and the Chairman of Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU), Mr. Paul Akinjide, and made available to journalists, the unions gave a month ultimatum to the federal government to do the needful about the institution.

The communiqué reads: “Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette, No. 4, Vol. 19, Lagos–7th January, 2022 recognised Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo (Establishment) Act, 2021 with pages A29-69. By this Act, law establishing Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo had been repealed.

“The Act that established AFUED was passed by the Senate on 13th October, 2021, passed by the House of Representatives on 23rd July, 2020, signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly on 25th November, 2021 and signed into Law by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on 23rd December, 2021.

“The position of the governing council is working against the stand of the Federal Government of Nigeria as indicated in the University Gazette. The governing council is hereby challenged to have negated the Federal Government of Nigeria’s position.

“The unions observed with dismay that the governing council concealed information from members of staff as regards the university’s status and used that to reappoint the college’s provost and registrar to torpedo the takeoff of the university, despite that Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo is no longer in existence by law.”

The unions noted that “the actions of the governing council were illegal and dereliction of functions. The Official Gazette empowers the governing council to still continue in office as the council of the university but not as council of the College of Education. Hence, such provision negated the decision of the governing council to re-appoint the provost and the registrar for a second term in office when there is no more College of Education.

“The Official Gazette stated that the university shall be supervised by the National Universities Commission (NUC) but not National Commission for Colleges of Education. It was observed with dismay that representative of the NCCE was still attending governing council’s meeting which is considered illegal and against ethical principles.”

The joint staff unions, however, called for the immediate reversal of the reappointment of the provost and the college registrar of the institution for a second term adding that the federal government should honour its laws and act accordingly.