By CHRISTIANA LOT, Jos –
The Academic Staff Union of Colleges of Agriculture (ASUCA) has rejected the recent appointment of Prof. Jeremiah Jonathan Atungwu as the Provost and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, describing the process as a breach of established criteria and a threat to institutional integrity.
Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Jos, Plateau State, the Acting National President of ASUCA, Comrade Williams Manggoel, said the appointment came as a shock, considering the advertised qualifications.
“The position was clearly stated to be for Assistant Directors, Associate Professors, or Principal Lecturers from National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) or Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs),” he said. “Appointing someone outside this framework is unjust and unacceptable.”
Comrade Manggoel emphasized that ASUCA has consistently objected to the appointment of university professors as heads of Colleges of Agriculture, stressing that such actions sideline internal staff who have risen through the system.He further warned that the development, if left unaddressed, could incite dissatisfaction and systemic instability.
“Allowing individuals unfamiliar with our structure and challenges to lead, only to return to their universities after benefiting from our resources, is demoralizing. It undermines our growth and discourages excellence within the system,”
“We are not against individuals, but we insist that leadership must emerge from within. The Colleges of Agriculture are distinct and should be led by those who understand their unique mandate,” he added.
ASUCA also faulted the recent advertisement for the Provost position at the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Vom, which included eligibility for university professors – a move the union considers as another attempt to impose external leadership.
In addition to the call for a reversal of the Ibadan appointment, the union laid out key demands. These include a correction of the Vom Provost advert to reflect the eligibility of only academic staff within FCAs and NARIs, and evidence of progress on the long-delayed Scheme and Condition of Service (SOS/COS).
“We demand the immediate reversal of the Ibadan Provost appointment. A qualified candidate from within our system who was part of the interview process should be appointed,” Manggoel said.
He continued, “We also demand that the Vom advert be corrected to match that of Ibadan before it was manipulated. There’s no new Act or circular that justifies the change. It is purely an affront to the autonomy of our colleges.”
On the issue of service conditions, the union lamented that staff are still operating under an outdated 2004 document.
“The ARCN and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture have dragged this matter since 2020. The excuse that there are conflicts in the content is no longer tenable. Each institution has its own mandate — they deserve their own scheme of service,” he stressed.
He urged the Office of the Head of Service and all supervising agencies to provide concrete evidence of steps taken to resolve the SOS/COS delay.
“We are protecting the integrity of our institutions. Our demands are clear, justified, and long overdue,” Manggoel stated.
