by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) has expressed its strong objection towards the recent appointment of a University Professor, Jeremiah Jonathan Atungwu, the Provost/CEO, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan.
President of the Academic Staff Union (ASUCA), Comr. Williams Manggoel, disclosed this during a Press Conference at the NUJ Press Center in Jos, on Thursday.
According to him, “This came as a surprise, considering the advertisement in national newspapers (Nigerian Tribune, 15th November, 2024), which specifically indicated the qualification/eligibility is for Assistant Director, Associate Professor or Principal Lecturer from National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) and Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCA).”
He stressed that, “University Professor was not qualified for the position, based on the advertisement, and couldn’t have applied. If he erroneously did, he should not have been shortlisted in the first instance and, let alone, invited for the interview and being considered for the appointment.
“The Union had strongly objected to the appointment of University Professors as Provost/CEO in FCA in our letter to ARCN in 2020 and had several discussions on same subject matter which led to appointments of all Provost/CEO in the past years being restricted to NARIs and FCA.
According to him, “The appointments of the University Professors as Provost/CEO in Colleges of Agriculture will not just cause brain drain, but it is demoralizing and a discouragement to academic staff, who have given their best to rise to the zenith of their career.
“It is important to inform you that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had raised strong objection for the amendment of the TETFund Bill, in 2016 and 2017, to include Colleges of Agriculture,” he stated.
“It is, therefore, a misnomer for ASUU members to be the ultimate beneficiaries of the same system they denied funding. The Union viewed with dismay the advertisement for the position of Provost/CEO of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, to include a minimum qualification of an Associate Professor.
“Based on the initial agreement and, for the interest of the system, the advertisement for the position of Provost/CEO should be for qualified staff in FCA and NARIs only,” he stressed.
They also demand that the advertisement should be same as that of FCA, Ibadan, as there has not been any new Act or Circular or Letter between the two advertisement’s dates.
“We consider this inclusion as a means of re-inviting University Professors into a system they are not conversant with, especially our challenges, but only interested in personal benefits after which they return to the University, leaving the Colleges of Agriculture in a deplorable state.
“The Union considers this advertisement a direct affront and gross disregard for the autonomy and unique identity of our system. The Colleges of Agriculture are distinct in mission, vision, structure and its leadership should rightly emerge from within the system.
“Allowing University Professors to apply for Provost/CEO in Colleges of Agriculture would undermine the career progression of Academic Staff and create unnecessary tension, dissatisfaction, and potential instability within the system,” he noted.
Comr. Williams Manggoel added that, “The continuous delay in the release of the Scheme of Service (SOS) and Condition of Service (COS) for Federal Colleges of Agriculture and Related Institutions under the purview of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) is frustrating to ASUCA members.
He explained, thus: “The delay has resulted in the continuous use of the 2004 SOS/COS that is obsolete, deficient; and not in line with contemporary academic standards and staff progression.
He said, if they don’t comply with their demand, ASUCA will embark on a warning strike on Monday to Wednesday next week.
The ASUCA President revealed that, “The Union was invited by the ARCN and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security along with other Stakeholders, in 2020, to draft SOS/COS, which was proposed for consideration.
“In our letter to the ARCN, in February, 2025, we indicated that the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation informed us that the proposed SOS was stepped-down due to conflict in the content with respect to different mandates for ARCN, FCA and NARIs, and that separate SOS/COS should be proposed for the organizations owing to their different mandates.
“The reply to our demand for a speedy action on same was unnecessarily delayed and the explanation given not satisfactory,” he stated.
“This is because the issues of SOS/COS had been on since 2020 before the creation of the two new Ministries (Livestock Development and Marine and Blue Economy). It is either somebody is not doing his/her work or our supervisory ministry is being misguided since 2020.”
The Union also demanded the immediate reversal of the recent appointment of the Provost/CEO at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, saying, “The best and qualified staff from any of the FCA/NARIs, who attended the interview, should be appointed.”
ASUCA, therefore, is demanding the withdrawal and correction of the advertisement for the position of Provost/CEO of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, and any other further advertisement, to indicate clearly that the eligibility for Provost/CEO is for qualified academic staff in Colleges of Agriculture and National Agricultural Research Institutes.