About five academic staff of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, have filed a lawsuit against the university management at the Federal Court High in Enugu for refusing to allow appoint members of the Governing Council to serve out their tenure.
The affronted scholars, made up of three professors, had argued that they were elected for a four-year tenure to be internal members of the governing board but they were not permitted to continue in office after the disestablishment and reconstitution of the governing councils of the federal universities.
The applicants, had through their counsel, Chidioke Ezeh, appealed to the court for an interlocutory injunction to prevent the university from conducting fresh elections into the governing council of the institution.
Joined in the suit marked FHC/E/CS/97 2024, were the university governing council, the Senate of the university, Vice Chancellor and the pro-Chancellor of the institution.
The applicants had also begged for an order compelling both parties in the suit to keep the peace and status quo, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
The applicants had in a motion on notice, said they were usually elected as internal members of the governing council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, from the different categories of the Senate, convocation and congregation.
They also remarked that they have their own diverse memoranda to council, election results, notice of meeting and minutes of meetings.
The suit additionally urged the court to analyse relevant provisions of the Interpretation Act as to what made up a four-year under the law.
The applicants further divulged that they had held several meetings with the 4th defendant (the vice Chancellor of the university) but he had remained stubborn and unwilling to do the unlawful act especially because his tenure as vice chancellor would be terminated sometime in June 2024.
What it Means
The federal government’s role in this dispute should be seriously scrutinized, especially over its oversight of university governance.
By allowing the disestablishment and reconstitution of governing councils without ensuring the continuity of members’ tenures, the government has created a dicey situation that is rife with legal challenge and institutional instability.
The lack of clear guidelines or procedures put in place to protect the tenure rights of elected members shows a broader failure in policy and oversight.
Moving forward, the federal government has to address these shortcomings by instituting robust governance frameworks that prioritize continuity, transparency, and obedience to legal obligations, that will help to foster a conducive environment for academic excellence and institutional stability.
