RSUST Amendment Bill: VC Gets 5-Year Single Term

As part of the moves to check incessant disruption of academic programmes and in-fighting at  the state premier University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Port Harcourt, the state government, has proposed an amendment to the principal law establishing the institution in 1980.

Under the proposed Amendment Bill, the Vice Chancellor will now have a single tenure of five years, while subsection 1(d) of section 3 of the law is to be amended by deleting a deputy vice-chancellor and substituting it with “two deputy vice chancellors.

The bill, which went through the first reading on last Tuesday’s plenary session of the State Assembly, is expected  to repeal subsection (1) (i) of section 4 of the principal law by deleting the word commissioner” and substituting it with “visitor”.

Introducing the Amendment Bill, the leader of House and member representing Emohua, Hon. Chidi Lloyd explained that the proposed amendment provides that the vice chancellor shall hold office for one tenure of five years.

“He shall not be eligible for re-appointment until at least four years have elapsed since he last held office as vice chancellor,” he declared.

The bill also provides for the establishment of a senior staff disciplinary committee that shall be responsible for the discipline of any senior staff employed as a member of the academic, administrative or professional staff of the university other than the vice chancellor.

Similarly, a bill for a law to further amend the Rivers State House of Assembly service commission law of 1999 has also passed through first reading at Tuesday’s plenary session of the State Assembly.