Politicians Have Turned Varsity Recruitment Into Constituency Project — ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has said it will combat the anomaly in the employment of university staff.

Professor Emmanuel Osadeke, national president of ASUU said the union would fight the flaw in the system, where vice-chancellors disregard due process in the recruitment of staff into the university system.

He said this on Wednesday during the Heroes’ Day Celebration of the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.

The university don alleged that paramount rulers, governors and all other politicians in collaboration with vice-chancellors have turned the employment of university staff into constituency projects.

Though, he assured that the union would ensure that discipline is restored to the system again.

He said no university in the country has advertised for vacancies in the past six to 10 years, yet the staff strength of universities has increased.

Also, he said vice-chancellors have resorted to employing all manners of people as lecturers.

“Before now, university employment was done through advertisement followed by rigorous interviews but now, how do people get here? It is through temporary appointments. That’s the problem that we have today. I do not know of any university for the past six to 10 years that has advertised, but the staff strength has tripled.

“Vice chancellors just sat down somewhere and packed people from traditional rulers, governors, and all other politicians into the Nigerian universities as lecturers and most of them are now scavengers in the system, going after money and all manners of things.

“Unfortunately, university employment has turned into a constituency project and we have to struggle to reverse this misnomer and bring sanity to the system,” he stated.