JUST-IN: ASUU Kicked Against Closure Of Universities, Gives Reason

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) kicked against the directive of the National Universities Commission (NUC) that universities in the country be closed for three weeks because of the 2023 general elections.

NAIJATRENDS MEDIA INC had reported that the NUC, in a letter to vice chancellors on Thursday, directed that the institutions be shut down between February 22 and March 14, 2023 to allow students participate in the February 25 and March 11, 2023 general elections.

However, the National President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview with The Punch, explained that universities had never been shut down because of elections, saying that the closure and opening of universities were the prerogative of universities’ Senates.

He said: “Vice-Chancellors do not have the right to close universities. It is purely the prerogative of the universities’ Senates to either open or close universities.

“Things have gone so bad in this country that they are citing security and for this reason, we, as a union, had to look on. In all the past elections, have we ever closed the universities, polytechnics? So, what has gone wrong? Why the desperation? Why are they punishing Nigerians? We need to ask Nigerian leaders questions because we are trying to meet up with lost time and here you are shutting down universities.”