The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised the alarm over the growing political interference in the recruitment of lecturers, warning that politicians are now influencing who gets academic jobs in Nigerian universities.
The union said the practice, alongside the conversion of non-academic staff into lecturers without the required qualifications, was threatening the quality and credibility of university education.
ASUU Zonal Coordinator for the Bauchi Zone, Prof. Timothy Namo, made the allegations at a press conference held at the University of Jos.
Namo said years of inadequate recruitment had already created serious manpower shortages across universities, but warned that political interference was making the situation worse.
According to him, university governing councils are supposed to recruit academic staff based on established qualifications and procedures, but politicians are increasingly attempting to dictate who gets employed.
He said senators, state lawmakers and other influential politicians were allegedly submitting lists of candidates for employment, with some of the nominees lacking the qualifications required for academic positions.
ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, described the development as a serious threat to the university system.
Piwuna also raised the alarm over the alleged conversion of senior non-academic staff into academic positions despite their lack of the necessary training and qualifications.
He insisted that universities must follow due process in recruitment and appointment if the country is to preserve academic standards.
The ASUU president further took a swipe at the Federal Government over what he described as its failure to engage university lecturers.
Piwuna said the union had not had a direct interface with President Bola Tinubu for three years, describing the situation as embarrassing.
He said it had become almost as though university lecturers were begging to have an audience with the President, despite being a major body of intellectuals in the country.
Piwuna urged the Federal, state and local governments to review their socio-economic policies and place the welfare of Nigerians at the centre of governance.
The union’s warning comes amid longstanding concerns over inadequate staffing, funding and declining standards in Nigeria’s public university system.
Don’t Miss Out! Join our WhatsApp Channel for instant news updates. Click here to join
ALSO READ:
ASUU UNILAG rejects FG’s loan scheme
46 of our Members died due to economic hardship — Abuja Zone ASUU
