Amid ASUU Strike, Wives Of Vice Chancellors Plan Trip To Turkey

Wives of Vice-Chancellors of public varsities in Nigeria have planned a trip to Istanbul, Turkey, for a five-day ‘masterclass’. 

This comes as the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which began on February 14th, 2022, is in its 12th week. 

In a letter signed by the Secretary-General for the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Yakubu Ochefu, the programme is scheduled to hold from 18 to 23 July 2022, in Istanbul, the Punch reports. 

The letter, which was addressed to vice-chancellors was titled, ‘Invitation to the Istanbul 5-Day Leadership & Management Masterclass, Fellowship Induction for Spouses of Vice-Chancellors, Women in Academics and Higher Education Leadership’, and dated May 5th, 2022. 

It detailed that each of the VC wives would pay a sum of N1.5m as a course form to attend the programme.

The letter read in part, “We understand the vital role spouses play in supporting Vice-Chancellors as they execute their day- to-day administration of universities. It is therefore imperative, that capacity-building exercises be put in place for the Women in Academics and spouses of Vice-Chancellors in Nigerian Universities.

“In this regard, the Committee’s Secretariat, In Partnership with Win Institute for Gender Studies, Nigeria in collaboration with her Turkey-based learning partner, Istanbul Egitimler, have put together a 5-day Leadership & Management Masterclass, and Fellowship Induction for spouses of Vice-Chancellors, women academics and higher education leadership in Africa.”

ASUU has been on strike to intensify its demands which include the renegotiation of its 2009 agreement with the government and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) to replace the Federal Government’s Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The strike was initially slated to last for 4 weeks but was extended upon its expiration on March 14 by two months.