A Monday pronouncement by the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, has dissolved the governing boards of all federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The president, by the pronouncement, has also dissolved the governing board of all parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Education (FME).
According to a statement by the Director, Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Willie Bassey, Mr Tinubu approved the dissolution of all governing boards of all federal government parastatals, agencies, institutions, and government-owned companies.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the immediate dissolution of the Governing Boards of all Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies in the exercise of its constitutional powers and in the public interest,” Mr Bassey wrote.
Exemption
There are, however, some exceptions to the president’s sweeping order.
According to the statement, the president “exempted boards, commissions and councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.”
But there is no parastatal under the education ministry that is exempted from the order.
A review of Section 153(I), first part of the third schedule of the Nigerian constitution, shows that the exempted parastatals include: the Code of Conduct Bureau, Council of State, Federal Character Commission, Federal Civil Service Commission, Federal Judicial Service Commission, and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Others are National Defence Council, National Economic Council, National Judicial Council, National Population Commission, National Security Council, Nigeria Police Council, Police Service Commission; and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Affected education agencies, institutions
The institutions that are affected by the order under the education ministry include; National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC), Nigerian French Language Village (NFV), National Commission for Adult Education Mass Literacy and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), National Examinations Council (NECO), and Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigerian (LRCN).
Others are the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE), Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), National Institute for Educational Planning & Administration (NIEPA), National Teachers Institute (NTI), National Institute for Nigerian Languages (NINLAN), Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), National Library of Nigeria (NLN), Federal Scholarship Board (FSB), Nigerian Arabic Language Village (NALV) and the Nigerian Mathematical Centre (NMC).
Also affected are all federal government-owned universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and inter-university centres such as the University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Uyo, Yaba College of Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, and Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka.
Operations continue
Meanwhile, following the dissolution of the boards, the president has directed the heads of affected parastatals to refer all matters requiring the attention of the board to his office through the respective permanent secretaries in their ministries.
“In view of this development and until such a time new boards are constituted, the Chief Executive Officers of the Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies are directed to refer matters requiring the attention of their Boards to the President, through the Permanent Secretaries of their respective supervisory Ministries and Offices,” the statement said.
“Permanent Secretaries are directed, also, to route such correspondences to Mr President through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Consequently, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies are to ensure compliance to the provision of this directive which took effect from Friday 16th June.”