The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, has reacted after the Federal Government ignored the union’s ultimatum to reconstitute the governing councils of universities across the country and released a list of new members for 111 tertiary institutions.

Naija News reported that President Bola Tinubu had last week approved the appointments of 555 persons to serve as Pro-chancellors/Chairmen and members of the Governing Boards of 111 Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

An advertorial signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, showed the appointment of a chairperson and four members for each institution.

The advertorial stated that the Inaugural/Retreat for the Chairmen and Members of the Governing Councils of Tertiary Institutions will take place on Thursday, May 30th, and Friday, May 31st, 2024.

Notable among the members of the councils include the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, two prominent Nigerian lawyers and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wole Olanipekun and Yusuf Alli, former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Peter Okebukola, and labour activist, Issa Aremu.

Reacting to the development, the ASUU President, in an interview with PUNCH, said the Federal Government was expected to reinstate the ‘illegally’ dissolved governing councils and not to constitute new ones.

Osodeke also stated that the union’s demand was not limited to the dissolved governing councils of tertiary institutions, adding that the Federal Government should implement other ASUU requests.

He said, “It is not just about the governing council alone, it is just one of them. Secondly, we said they should reinstate the illegally dissolved governing council. We didn’t say they should constitute a new one. As far as we are concerned, they have not met any.”