By Ghazali Ibrahim 
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has elected Professor Chris Piwuna as its new National President during the union’s 23rd National Delegates Congress held in Benin City on Sunday.
Piwuna, a consultant psychiatrist at the University of Jos Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and current Dean of Student Affairs at the University of Jos, succeeds Professor Victor Osodeke, a soil science expert from the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State.
The tightly contested election saw Piwuna emerge victorious over Professor Adamu Babayo of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, according to sources within the union familiar with the proceedings.
His emergence as ASUU president comes at a critical time, as the union grapples with unresolved tensions over the distribution of the recently released Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) by the Federal Government.
Concerns over continued brain drain, underfunding of public universities, and the threat of industrial action also loom large.
Piwuna, widely respected in academic and medical circles, is expected to bring his leadership experience and negotiation skills to bear in steering ASUU through these turbulent times.
The union has yet to make an official statement regarding its next steps, but insiders suggest internal consultations are ongoing to determine how best to respond to the government’s latest actions.
