Letter to the Editor

The Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi  Odunayo Akeredolu has reaffirmed the new retirement age for both the academic and non-academic staff of all Universities and other Tertiary  institutions owned  and or established by the Ondo State Government as follows:

1. Retirement age for Professional Cadre shall be seventy (70) years
2. Retirement age for other Academic Staff shall be sixty five (65) years

iii.   Retirement age for non-academic staff shall be sixty five (65) years.

The Governor, a legal luminary and an  administrator per excellence, who believes so much in the rule of  law, has acted in compliance with a letter dated 15th June, 2012 with Ref. no: NUCP/PER/021/Vol. VI, wherein, the Nigerian Universities Commission wrote all the Vice-Chancellors  of Nigerian Universities on the implementation of the new retirement age for University staff as contained in the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Act 2012 that enjoined them to comply with the new retirement  age as contained in the Act.

Section 4 of the Act provides that: “as from the commencement of the Act, the compulsory retiring age for: Academic  Staff in Professorial Cadre shall be 70 years and Non-Academic  Staff shall be 65 years”

Furthermore, in December 2012, after the receipt of the NUC’s  letter mentioned above, the governing council of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba  approved at  its 52nd Regular meeting of 14th December, 2012, the Rules and Regulations governing the conditions of services  of staff  ostensibly to   accommodate the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provision) Amendment Act 2012 relating to retirement age of Non-Academic and Professorial Cadre. In  chapter 3 page 124 of the Rules and Regulations, the retiring age for full time professor is stated at 70 years, while other staff of the University shall be 65 years.

In the light of the above, it is clear that AAUA’s  governing council in the exercise of  its power has made a subsidiary legislation by adopting the provisions of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Act. 2012 in relation to the retirement age of University staff consequently,  approval of  the Government has doused and sealed the agitation from the Unions an members of  staff of all the higher institutions in the state.

Thank you Mr. Governor, May your reign continues to be fruitful and rewarding.

Dr. Akinyemi Gbadebo

Philosophy Dept. AAUA