JOS — The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused politicians of interfering in the recruitment of academic staff in public universities. Speaking at a press conference at the University of Jos, the union's Bauchi Zone Coordinator, Prof. Timothy Namo, said senators, members of state assemblies and other politicians now bring lists of candidates, many of them unqualified, for lecturing positions. He said a long freeze on recruitment had created gaps that politicians were exploiting. The National President of ASUU, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, criticised the practice of moving non-academic staff into the academic cadre without the required qualifications. Piwuna also said the union had not had a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in three years, describing the situation as shameful. He urged all tiers of government to put the welfare of citizens first.