‘Contempt for professors’ – Withdraw comments, quit as NOUN Pro-Chancellor – ASUU tells Isa Yuguda

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, Bauchi branch, has demanded a public retraction and resignation of former Bauchi State Governor, Malam Isa Yuguda, as Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, over comments it described as an affront to university autonomy and academic integrity.

ASUU said it was “shocked and stunned” by Yuguda’s remarks at a recent National Assembly public hearing on a bill seeking to change ATBU Bauchi from a technology-based university to a conventional one.

This was contained in a statement signed by its chairperson, Comrade Angulu Haruna, and posted on ASUU Facebook page on Wednesday.

The union called on the Executive Secretary of the NUC, the Minister of Education, the Bauchi State Governor and President Bola Tinubu, as Visitor to the university, to urgently intervene.

According to the union, Yuguda allegedly criminalised opposition to the bill, declaring that anyone against the proposed change was a criminal.

ASUU also accused the former governor of disparaging professors who spoke against the bill, quoting him as saying, “Who the hell are professors for goodness sake!”

“The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is stunned by the outbursts of a former Governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguba, at a recent public hearing on a Bill to change the mandate of ATBU Bauchi from Technology based University to conventional University at the National Assembly. Malam Isa Yuguda while addressing the media, criminalized anybody who is not in support of the Bill, as he puts it, ‘any person who is against turning the University into a conventional University is a criminal.

“The former Governor was not happy with the Professors who spoke against the said Bill because of its violation of the University autonomy and in registering his frustration he exclaimed that ‘who the hell are Professors for goodness sake!,” part of the statement read.

The union said attending a public hearing is a constitutional right and described Yuguda’s comments as “appalling and unfortunate,” especially coming from a former state chief executive.

ASUU further expressed concern that Yuguda, who currently serves as Pro-Chancellor of NOUN, displayed what it called “total disregard” for professors, warning that such conduct raises questions about his competence, integrity and suitability to oversee a university system.

The union also condemned a video message released by Alhaji Ladan Salihu, a former Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, in which he reportedly criticised ATBU management and the National Universities Commission, NUC, for opposing the bill.

ASUU said it was disturbed by Salihu’s alleged claim that those against the bill were “the biggest enemies of the people of Bauchi State,” describing the statement as another threat to university autonomy and academic freedom.

‘Contempt for professors’ – Withdraw comments, quit as NOUN Pro-Chancellor – ASUU tells Isa Yuguda