The Secretary-General, Committee of Vice-Chancellors (CVC), Prof. Michael Faborode has leapt to the defence of President Muhammadu Buhari by declaring that the tenure of vice-chancellors of nine Federal Universities will expire on Feb. 15 and that it will be wrong to describe their removal by the President as a sack.
Faborode stated this on Saturday in Abuja, that it would not be fair to say that the vice-chancellors were sacked.
Media report on Saturday was that the Federal Government had sacked the Vice Chancellors of 12 Federal Universities that were established by the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The report added that the Vice-Chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) was also sacked.
The affected universities are: Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State and Federal University, Wakari, Taraba State.
Others are Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Federal University, Ndufe-Alike, Ebonyi State and Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Also affected are Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, Federal University, Gasau, Zamfara State and Federal University, Kebbi.
“The tenure of the vice-chancellors of nine of these universities expires on Feb. 15″, Faborode said.
“It will be unfair to say that they were sacked; they have exhausted their tenure; when your tenure is not renewed; it does not mean you are sacked. I do not know the reasons why the vice-chancellors of the other three universities were affected,’’ he added.
It will be noted that President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked vice-chancellors appointed by his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan for the Federal universities set up by the administration.
In a statement issued by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, the sacking has the approval of President Buhari.
Amongst the sacked is Professor Vincent Tenebe, the vice-chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN.
A former Head, Department of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Kayode Soremekun, who was said to be on sabbatical in NOUN is the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State has Prof. Auwal Yadudu of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University, Kano as its new VC.
Prof. Fatima Batoul Muktar of the Department of Biology, North West University, Kano is the VC of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State.
A lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Haruna Abdu Kaita is the new VC of Federal University, Dutsin Ma, Katsina State, while Prof. Andrew Haruna of the Department of Linguistics, University of Jos will now function as VC, Federal University, Gashua, Yobe State.
A lecturer in the Department of Pharmacy, ABU, Zaria, Prof. Magaji Garba, is the new VC Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State.
Prof. Alhassan Mohammed Gani of the Institute of Maritime Studies, Federal University, Kashere in Gombe State has been elevated to the position of VC in same University.
A lecturer in the Department of Physics, Federal University, Lafia, Prof. Muhammad Sanusi Liman will henceforth be VC of same institution.
For Prof. Angela Freeman Miri of the Linguistics Department, UNIJOS, is the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja.
The Federal University, Ndifu-Alike, Ebonyi State now has Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba of the Post-Graduate School, Imo State University, Owerri as its VC, while Prof. Seth Accra Jaja of the Department of Management, University of Port Harcourt is now the VC of Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State.