By Jimmy Jackson
The Federal Government has directed the outgoing Vice-Chancellors (VCs) in the federal universities to hand over to their deputies to temporarily serve as acting Vice-Chancellors.
This was conveyed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in a letter signed by the acting Executive Secretary of NUC, Chris Maiyaki dated May 28, 2024, and addressed to the outgoing vice-chancellors.
According to the letter, the move was prompted by a directive from the Federal Ministry of Education, which duly notified the Commission on the end of the tenure of some vice-chancellors.
Maiyaki said that the appointment of the acting vice chancellors should be done through the recommendations of the Universities’ Senates, adding that the soon-to-be inaugurated Governing Councils of the universities will appoint acting vice chancellors for a specific period after their inauguration and thereafter commence selection process for substantive VCs in their respective institutions.
The letter reads in parts; “I write, further to previous communication Ref. No. NUC/ES/138/Vol. 65/88 and dated 27 May 2024, to convey the directive of the Federal Ministry of Education, vide its letter Ref. No. FME/TE/CỰ/130/T6/458 and dated 28 May 2024 (copy attached), to the effect that Vice-Chancellors of Federal Universities, who are rounding up their tenures, are to nominate, through the recommendation of their Senates, a Deputy Vice-Chancellor that will oversee the office of the Vice-Chancellor in a temporary capacity.
“The Governing Councils, after their inauguration, will appoint Acting Vice-Chancellors for a period not less than 6 months, during which they will commence the process of appointing substantive Vice-Chancellors.
