UniAbuja: ASUU Celebrates Exit of Na’Allah as VC

Following the conclusion of his term as vice chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah’s departure was commemorated by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) one day later.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed its intention to commemorate the departure of the vice chancellor, who they allege has caused significant damage to the university during his five-year tenure.

Speaking at the end of its congress on Tuesday, the Chairman of UniAbuja ASUU branch, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, said with Na’Allah’s exit, the union was ready to engage with the new management of the University, led by Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi to resolve the ongoing strike in the university.

“We are just celebrating the exit of the vice chancellor that destroyed this university in the last five years. It is a case of desecrating chambers of the Ivory towers.

“In the last five years, University of Abuja experienced onslaught of academic activities. It was really a setback but the good news is that the tenure has ended and so what we are celebrating is to tell the world that we regret having him as the vice chancellor.

“Before he came to this university, university of Abuja was in the ninth position but today university of Abuja is in the 27th position, it was a total failure,” he said.

Recall that the union, on May 2, 2024, embarked on indefinite strike in protest against issues such as violation of its established laws, including appointments and promotions of members of staff in the absence of a governing council, amongst others.

On the issue of strike, he said; “We didn’t strike because of the vice Chancellor, the strike was led by the five issues that were illegalities. So, as soon as these illegalities are corrected, we will suspend the strike.

“The person overseeing the office of the vice Chancellor Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi has been part of the player. She knows all the issues so the union is waiting for any day we are invited to interface with the University.

“The issues in contention are issues that could be handled in one day for any person that is willing to solve them. So, I don’t think they are issues that ordinarily could have lasted for more than two weeks.

“But right now, the strike is in and we are still on our comprehensive, total and indefinite strike,” the ASUU chairman stated.

He further said another issue discussed in the congress was to mobilise its people for a national strike, pending the directive of the national.”

Former chairman of UniAbuja ASUU branch, Dr. Kassim Umar,who also spoke, urged the Federal Government to intervene and save the University of Abuja, while lamenting the policies of the past leadership.

“It is our prayer for even our enemy to not witness what we have witnessed under Prof. Na’Allah because he is a kind of vice Chancellor that knows it all and many times we have visited him, national had visited him, zonal visitation, everybody have visited him and at the end of the day he turned everything down. But it is our hope that the overseer of the University who is Prof Maikudi will reason with the needful so that peace will return in this place

“We are not fighting anybody. We want the system to be okay for Nigerians and for our children but it is quit unfortunate we have experienced this.

“We are calling all the relevant agencies from presidency, Ministry of education, NUC, well wishes, traditional rulers and religious to intervene and allow peace to reign in university of Abuja,” he added.

Responding to union’s declaration of celebration,the university’s spokesman,Dr Habib Yakoob, said the entire university community celebrated Prof.Na’Allah’ for his outstanding performance while he held sway in the university.

“Well, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah was well celebrated by the entire university community, at the tail end of his tenure. The community felt they would miss an era that saw the rapid development of the University in all facets of life.

“The acting vice chancellor of the University now,Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, was part of the administration of Na’Allah, being the deputy vice chancellor academic.

“We hope that the ASUU will give her the support that the University managment had been asking from them for quite some time now,”Yakoob said.

July 03, 2024