Over 2000 protesters under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Society Groups, on Wednesday, laid siege at the entrance of the National Assembly Complex, over the sack of 13 vice chancellors of federal universities by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
The protesters who were at the NASS gate stopped movement in and out of the legislative complex, and called for the sack of the education minister if the 13 VCs were not reinstated.
Director-General, COCSG, Bassey Etuk, also alleged that the sack of the VCs and their replacement with people mostly from the Northern part of the country was gross violation of the statutory provision of federal character principles guiding appointments of public officers.
The protesters handed over a letter of petition to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, which was received by the deputy Sergeant-At-Arms, National Assembly, Dennis Maaji.
The protesters carried placards with various inscription which reads, “Adamu must go”, “reinstate the sacked VCs now” and “Nigeria needs a better administrator in the Education Ministry”, and among others.
However, the protesters gave a 48 hour ultimatum to the minister to reverse the sack of the 13 VCs or resign his appointment, “He (Adamu) doesn’t seem to understand the working of University system and administration,” Etuk stated.
Etuk also maintained that the next step would be to stop the sack at the court as saying that the VCs’ tenure were yet to elapse, and it will amount to injustice to them and a violation of the extanct civil service rules.
The Federal Government had in a statement on Saturday through the Federal Ministry of Education announced the sacking of 13 vice chancellors of Federal Universities established by former President Goodluck Jonathan, with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Over 2000 CSO Protesters Lay Siege On NASS Over 13 Sacked VCs
