By Abiola Olawale
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fresh approved names of reconstituted Governing Councils and Boards of federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The reconstituted governing councils were unveiled in a statement issued on Friday evening by the Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Nnamdi Mbaeri.
The new governing council list includes Chief Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State and a long-standing ally of Tinubu; General Ike Nwachukwu, a retired Nigerian Army general, two-times Foreign Minister of Nigeria and military governor of old Imo state; Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and a former Minister of Defence; Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, a former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and a three-term Senator, and Senate leader, representing Cross River Central Senatorial District of Cross River State in the Nigerian Senate. They were appointed as chairpersons of respective universities.
A breakdown of the list showed that a total of 255 individuals were appointed to the governing councils and boards of federal government-owned tertiary institutions.
This is a massive reduction from the 555 individuals who had initially made the previous list of governing councils that was discarded.
A former Deputy Inspector General of Police DIG Udom Ekpoudom; Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, a former Deputy Governor of Kano State; a former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu; legal luminary, Wole Olanipekun SAN, also made the list.
Akande was named as the Chairman of the governing council of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
The board members are Alexander Ajipe, Nelson Alapa, Ifeoma Nwankwo, and Prof. Emmanuel Alo.
Alhaji Yayale Ahmed was appointed as the Chairman of the governing council of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State.
Ike Nwachukwu, journalist, soldier, diplomat and first Ibo man to attain the rank of a General in the Nigerian Army after the Civil War, was appointed as the Chairman of the governing council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state.
Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba was named the Chairman of the governing council of the Federal University of Lokoja, Kogi State.
Udom Ekpoudom was appointed as the Chairman of the governing council of the University of Calabar, Cross River state.
Siyan Oyeweso was appointed to head the governing council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun state, while Edward Sarki; Joseph Abaagu; Wahaab Owokoniran, and Abubakar Kachaalla are members of the council.
Olanipekun (SAN) was appointed as the Chairman of the governing council of the University of Lagos, Lagos State. The council members are Bello Kumo, Prof. Idowu Mark, Niyi Akande, and Bola Njoku.
Isa Yuguda chairs the board of the National Open University. The council members are Goddy Etta, Yomi Balogun, Deborah Apah, and Hingah Biem.
Prof Umar Shuibu was appointed as the Chairman of the governing council of the University of Benin, Edo State.
Nasir Yusuf Gawuna was named as the Chairman of the governing council of the Adeyemi Federal University of Education, Ondo State.
Adebayo Shittu, Muiz Banire, and Senator Florence Ita Giwa were appointed as the chairpersons of the governing boards for David Umahi University of Medicine in Ebonyi State, Federal University of Transportation in Katsina State, and Federal Polytechnic in Ugep, Cross River State, respectively among others.
In the press release, Mbaeri said Tinubu approved the new governing council as part of his effort to enshrine effective management of Nigerian tertiary institutions across the country.
The statement read, “His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, has approved the reconstitution of Governing Councils and Boards of Federal Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education for the effective management of Nigerian tertiary institutions across the country.”
The New Diplomat reports that the latest reconstituted governing councils came after Tinubu, in a statement issued on Thursday, May 23, 2024, halted the inauguration of the first governing council.
The President also ordered a complete and thorough review of the previously announced governing boards of tertiary institutions in Nigeria before the inauguration and planned retreat for the nominees.
The first governing council list had been marred by criticism, with the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other stakeholders raising concerns about the list, citing alleged lopsidedness, nepotism on the part of the education minister, among other considerations.
This was because 32 indigenes of Adamawa, the home state of Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, made the list of those appointed to the governing councils while many states got only three, four or six. in Cross Rivers, only six people were considered for those positions.
Also, Taraba State got only two appointments, while Niger State had only 4 members on the list.
Several citizens had expressed concern regarding the unequal distribution of appointments to the governing councils among the states.
However, find attached detailed list of the reconstituted Boards.
