ASUU: A Case of Double Standard

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) rising from its emergency congress on 14th February 2022 at the University of Lagos, went ballistic against the promotion of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Isa Pantami as a Professor of Cybersecurity by the Management of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO).

The Punch Salvo’s graphics summarizes the body’s position with the following words: ‘You cannot be a Minister and a lecturer in a University. It is an encouragement of illegality. Pantami has to quit as a Minister and be tried for doing double jobs within the same federal system. He is not qualified.’

ASUU further instructs all members and branches of its union throughout the country not to recognize, dignify, or treat Dr Isa Pantami as a professor of Cybersecurity under any guise NEC.

He who comes to equity must come with clean hands. The body should work more on practicalizing what it preaches as many of its members are guilty of the pronouncement on Pantami which cannot be faulted as members of ASUU work in different educational institutions aside the jurisdiction of their permanent employment.

The law is also clear on the issue of double jobs. Chapter 3, Code 030425 of the Federal Civil Service rule is expressly clear in the prohibition of private practice. It states: “In accordance with the provisions of Regulated and other Professionals Private Practice Prohibition Act (Cap 390) Part II, no officer shall engage in private practice. However, exceptions shall be granted to medical professionals and Law lecturers in Universities.”

While this rule is clear, it is important to digress and state that this rule might not apply, for instance, to a lecturer working in a federal government controlled university who also lectures and earns on part time basis at a State government owned university. I hold the view that the state civil service rule will apply here as state universities are not an extension federal government institutions and cannot be governed by the federal civil service rules.

Moshood Olajide, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife, Osun – State