The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has fired a fresh warning shot at Nigeria’s political class, accusing them of hijacking the appointment of Vice-Chancellors and turning universities into trading chips for political and contractor interests.
The union said the situation was glaring in the case of Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, where it alleged serious irregularities in the promotion of the Acting Vice-Chancellor.
In a statement signed by ASUU President, Christopher Piwuna, the union said:
“Universities built on merit and scholarship have been turned into commodities for politicians and contractors in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors.”
It condemned moves to reinstate the Acting VC despite “clear evidence” of contradictions in her academic promotions — warning that similar shady manoeuvres were playing out across federal universities.
Lecturers on Empty Stomachs
The union also painted a grim picture of life for Nigerian lecturers: teaching on empty stomachs, conducting research in poorly equipped libraries and labs without the basic tools — no up-to-date journals, no books, no chemicals, no reagents.
“Our members engage with communities in rickety cars, while battling unpaid bills, school fees, rent, and endless responsibilities,” ASUU lamented. “Yet the elites still blame universities for producing ‘unemployable graduates’ and not driving innovation. Our members feel forgotten, shamed, and demoralised.”
Broken Promises and a Brewing Crisis
ASUU warned that governments’ refusal to respect collective bargaining agreements — enshrined in ILO conventions — was destroying trust and pushing the academic workforce to the brink.
It recalled that the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement had dragged for over eight years, with successive administrations signing MoUs and MoAs (2013, 2017, 2019, 2020) but refusing to honour them.
“Every major dispute since 2012 stems from the government’s failure to respect signed agreements on staff welfare, funding, autonomy, and review of university laws,” the statement said.
The union called on Nigerians to press both federal and state governments to address all lingering labour issues in universities, warning that another industrial crisis was looming.
“No memorandum or endless discussion can replace a proper Collective Bargaining Agreement. The time to act is now!”
