Protesters Storm The National Assembly Complex, Abuja Over Sacking Of University VC

Protesters under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Wednesday took to the streets of Abuja protesting against the sacking of 13 Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Punch reports. Numbering over 2,000, the protesters barricaded the entrance of the National Assembly, calling for the removal of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. The Director-General, COCSG, Bassey Etuk said the sacking of the VCs and their replacement with people mostly from the North violated the federal character principles. “Six Professors were taken from Bayero University, Kano as replacement… Haba! Why? ,” one of the placards held by the protesters read. The protesters were heard chanting, “Adamu must go”, “Reinstate the sacked VCs now” and “Nigeria needs a better administrator in the Education Ministry”, among others. A petition to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was received on their behalf by the National Assembly’s Deputy Sergeant-At-Arms, Dennis Maaji. According to the group the Minister should resign his appointment “because he doesn’t seem to understand the working of University system and administration.” Etuk said the coalition would be heading to court to stop the sack as the tenure of five of the sacked VCs had yet to expire.