Affronts on University Autonomy and Malam Isa Yuguda's Threats to University Professors

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is stunned by the outbursts of a former Governor of Bauchi State, Malam Isa Yuguba, at a recent public hearing on a Bill to change the mandate of ATBU Bauchi from Technology based University to conventional University at the National Assembly. 

Malam Isa Yuguda while addressing the media criminalized anybody who is not in support of the Bill, as he puts it, 'any person who is against turning the University into a conventional University is a criminal.'

The former Governor was not happy with the Professors who spoke against the said Bill because of its violation of the University autonomy and in registering his frustration he exclaimed that 'who the hell are Professors for goodness sake!'

Malam Isa Yuguda ought to know that attending a public hearing at the National Assembly is a legitimate right of citizens. It is therefore appalling and unfortunate for a former Chief Executive of a State to criminalize people who exercise their rights in a legislative procedure. More so, ASUU is concerned that Malam Isa Yuguda who is a Pro-chancellor of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) displayed total disregard to the crème dela crème of the University, Professors, and as such belittle the domain he is entrusted by the President of Nigeria to superintend; this has called to question his competence, integrity and commitment for nation building and national security.

Furthermore, the Union wish to remind the public that our College of Medical Sciences had commenced much earlier before the former Governor's intervention. It is also on record that Bauchi State Government handed over the former State Specialist Hospital to Federal Government and was compensated, the proceeds of the exchange were what the former Governor used in developing other places especially the State Specialist Hospital along Ran road. Therefore, his claim that he laboured for the establishment of College of Medical Sciences in ATBU, Bauchi is not true, rather his administration benefitted from it’s correction.

As if that is not enough, another disturbing affront and threats to the University Autonomy and Professors was displayed by Alhaji Ladan Salihu, a seasoned journalist, an administrator, a former Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) who after the public hearing released a video message condemning the entire University team and the National Universities Commission (NUC) for opposing the Bill. More worrisome is Alhaji Ladan Salihu's statement that those who are in opposition to the Bill are the biggest enemies of the people of Bauchi State.

The Union finds it very disturbing that these individuals who are supposed to be conversant with the Law will pretentiously openly attack the ATBU Bauchi team who exercised their rights in the recently conducted public hearing by the National Assembly on a Bill proposing to change the mandate of ATBU Bauchi.

ASUU as a Union of intellectuals that is in the forefront of championing the good course of public University global competitiveness and the well-being of the nation is worried with the blatant affronts on the University Autonomy and threats to Professors, ATBU Bauchi Governing Council, and the University Administration because of their position in holding to the dictates of the Laws governing public Universities.

ASUU-ATBU Bauchi therefore call the attention of the Executive Secretary of NUC, the Honourable Minister of Education, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State and the President of Nigeria, who is the visitor of the University to note the affronts and threats on the University and, take action to protect ATBU, Bauchi and the lives of the Professors before things get out of hand.

It is against this backdrop that our Union is calling on Malam Isah Yuguda to publicly withdraw his statement and quietly resign from his position as Chairman of the Governing Council of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). You cannot preside over a system you hold with such disappointing contempt.

Thank you for sparing us your time at this auspicious moment of the year 2026.

Comrade Angulu Haruna PhD

Chairperson for and on behalf

of ASUU-ATBU, Bauchi.

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