The Academic Staff Union of Universities in North-West University, Kano branch, has expressed concern over the delay in the appointment and confirmation of a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the institution.

This was disclosed in a statement on Monday.

The statement said the tenure of the outgone vice-chancellor had ended on October 15, after which the deputy vice-chancellor (academics) assumed office in acting capacity on October 16.

According to the statement, the union described such an arrangement as illegal, because it is not provided for in the North-West University Law (as amended) 2012.

“Section 9(2) of the Law provides that ‘the vice-chancellor shall be appointed by the council subject to confirmation by the visitor, following due process as outlined in the Second Schedule, Section 4.3 (a–h).

“The process requires the declaration of vacancy, constitution of a search panel to identify qualified candidates, and formation of a board of selection to recommend three nominees to the governing council for final appointment and confirmation by the visitor,” it stated.

The statement added that the university’s governing council held a special meeting on October 2, where it deliberated on the appointment of the substantive vice-chancellor.

“ASUU-NWU is, however, concerned about the delay by the council in communicating the resolution of its meeting to the university community and transmitting the appointed candidates’ names to the visitor for confirmation,” the union said.

The statement called for transparency, due process, and non-interference from all stakeholders to ensure the timely conclusion of the appointment and confirmation process.

It also appealed to the governing council and the visitor to expedite action to prevent administrative lapses and a leadership vacuum in the institution.

(NAN)