- The proposed legislation also seeks to empower the Commission to expressly regulate the procedure for the engagement of Academic Staff on a part-time basis or visiting lectureship
The House of Representatives will on resumption from the annual two-month recess commence debate on the general principles of a bill which seeks to empower the National Universities Commission (NUC) to regulate the condition of service.
The private member bill was sponsored by the Speaker, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (APC-Kaduna).
The proposed legislation also seeks to empower the Commission to expressly regulate the procedure for the engagement of Academic Staff (other than Non-Academic Staff members) on a part-time basis or visiting lectureship.
According to the proponent of the legislation, the bill seeks to amend the National Universities Commission Act CAP. N81 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Clause 1 of the proposed bill, according to Hon. Abbas, seeks to propose to amend Section 4(17) of the Act.
“Section 4 Subsection (1) of the National Universities Commission Act CAP. N81 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 is amended by; inserting, after the existing paragraph (i), the following new paragraph:
“(ii) Provide guidelines for the condition of service (including maximum workload per semester per lecturer) and the procedure for the engagement of academic staff on a part or visiting basis”.
It was gathered that Hon. Abbas had earlier sponsored the same bill, which was supposed to be cited as the National Universities Commission Act (Amendment), 2017.
The bill, however, suffered a major setback due to bureaucratic challenges associated with logistics.
Currently, there is no existing or unifying law that regulates the procedure for the engagement of Academic Staff (other than Non-Academic Staff members) on a part-time basis or visiting lectureship, it was gathered.
However, the process is being determined by individual Tertiary Institutions at all levels.