FG stops seven varsities from running management courses

The Federal Government has asked seven federal universities of
Agriculture and Technology to stop running Management courses and
focus on their core mandate.

The directive was handed down to the authorities of the seven
universities by the Ministry of Education after it was approved
recently by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Already, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has
gone ahead to implement the federal government’s decision as it
delisted the management courses of the affected universities in its
current admission brochure.

JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, confirmed to our
reporter that the Board delisted the management courses of the
affected universities on the orders of the federal government.

According to him, the decision to delist the programmes was not
taken by the Board as being suggested by the some staff and
students of the universities affected adding, “It was a ministerial
decision based on FEC meeting and as an agency of government, we
are to implement government decisions. So, in the concluded Unified
Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the concerned
institutions did not field candidates.”

Sunday Sun learnt that the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) and the House Committee on Tertiary Education queried the
directive and are planning to seek audience with top government
officials on the new policy.

The ASUU FUNAAB chairman, Dr. Adebayo Oni, said the national
body of the union was aware of the government decision but noted
that it was done without proper consultation with affected
universities and stakeholders.

His words: “FUNAAB branch took the issue to our zonal branch
meeting which reported same at the national level. The delisting of
the programme was done in haste and it is illegal by JAMB. The
courses were accredited by the National Universities Commission
(NUC) and relevant bodies. University vice-chancellors were not
carried along.”

The seven institutions affected by the government directive are
Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Federal University
of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Modibbo Adamawa Federal University of
Technology, Yola (MAUTY), Federal University of Technology, Minna
(FUTMINNA), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB),
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) and
University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAW).

The decision to bar and delist the seven universities from
admitting students is generating ripples amongst academic staff who
fear for their jobs since the management courses have been
scrapped.

Particularly worrisome to the lecturers are the huge investments
made to establish the various colleges of Management Science by the
seven universities including facilities, structure and the current
students.

Investigations revealed that one of the universities started the
construction of College of Medicine but the over N3billion new
programme has been stalled because of the government’s decision
which prompted academic staff of the institution to stage a protest
against the directive.

At FUNAAB, the College of Management Science (COLMAS) was built
and equipped by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with
state-of-the-art-facilities. The lecturers, like their counterparts
are in dilemma over the decision to scrap management science
courses.

A concerned lecturer told Sunday Sun that because of the
government’s order, many students did not pick FUNAAB thus denying
it of millions of naira in revenue. He added: “Our fate after the
decision now hangs in the balance. Some lecturers are leaving to
other institutions.

The Federal Government has asked seven federal universities of
Agriculture and Technology to stop running Management courses and
focus on their core mandate.

The directive was handed down to the authorities of the seven
universities by the Ministry of Education after it was approved
recently by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Already, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has
gone ahead to implement the federal government’s decision as it
delisted the management courses of the affected universities in its
current admission brochure.

JAMB’s spokesperson, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, confirmed to our
reporter that the Board delisted the management courses of the
affected universities on the orders of the federal government.

According to him, the decision to delist the programmes was not
taken by the Board as being suggested by the some staff and
students of the universities affected adding, “It was a ministerial
decision based on FEC meeting and as an agency of government, we
are to implement government decisions. So, in the concluded Unified
Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), the concerned
institutions did not field candidates.”

Sunday Sun learnt that the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) and the House Committee on Tertiary Education queried the
directive and are planning to seek audience with top government
officials on the new policy.

The ASUU FUNAAB chairman, Dr. Adebayo Oni, said the national
body of the union was aware of the government decision but noted
that it was done without proper consultation with affected
universities and stakeholders.

His words: “FUNAAB branch took the issue to our zonal branch
meeting which reported same at the national level. The delisting of
the programme was done in haste and it is illegal by JAMB. The
courses were accredited by the National Universities Commission
(NUC) and relevant bodies. University vice-chancellors were not
carried along.”

The seven institutions affected by the government directive are
Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Federal University
of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Modibbo Adamawa Federal University of
Technology, Yola (MAUTY), Federal University of Technology, Minna
(FUTMINNA), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB),
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) and
University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAW).

The decision to bar and delist the seven universities from
admitting students is generating ripples amongst academic staff who
fear for their jobs since the management courses have been
scrapped.

Particularly worrisome to the lecturers are the huge investments
made to establish the various colleges of Management Science by the
seven universities including facilities, structure and the current
students.

Investigations revealed that one of the universities started the
construction of College of Medicine but the over N3billion new
programme has been stalled because of the government’s decision
which prompted academic staff of the institution to stage a protest
against the directive.

At FUNAAB, the College of Management Science (COLMAS) was built
and equipped by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with
state-of-the-art-facilities. The lecturers, like their counterparts
are in dilemma over the decision to scrap management science
courses.

A concerned lecturer told Sunday Sun that because of the
government’s order, many students did not pick FUNAAB thus denying
it of millions of naira in revenue. He added: “Our fate after the
decision now hangs in the balance. Some lecturers are leaving to
other institutions.