Maduako Igbokwe l Thursday, 24, 2020
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam, Anambra State on Thursday told the management that they cannot return to classes despite their threats and intimidation.
They insisted on continuing with the on-going strike embarked by the national body.
ASUU chairman of the chapter Prof Alphonsus Aniebo made the disclosure when Owerri Zonal executive of ASUU paid a solidarity visit to the institution over alleged threats by the institutions management on the ongoing strike.
He accused the management of institution of coercing members to abandon the national strike, saying the university had benefited from many agitations and demands of national ASUU.
According to him, any decision to boycott the strike would spell doom for the members in view of the unfair treatment from the institution, including entitlements.
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“The Management is hell bent on destroying ASUU in COOU, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Gregory Nwakoby has been trivializing issues in this institution, blaming all issues around ASUU chairman, Aniebo.
They have even scheduled examinations in the school when the students have resumed. There’s no budget monitoring committee in the university. This contributed to waste of resources.
“Most of the projects in the university are products of ASUU’s struggle. Yet the VC is asking us to abandon the national union which is risky. If we abandon them, we’ll die.
“We have lots of internal problem that are yet to be attended to. We have never gotten a kobo. Our colleagues in sister institutions retired with not less than N30m.
“But here, there is no retirement programme for anybody. Some become sick when they remember their retirement is coming, “he said
Earlier, Coordinator, Owerri zone, Comrade Uzor Onyebinanma of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Umuahia Abia State expressed disappointment at the management of the institution for using armed security men to harass lecturers.
“When we came here for our congress, the VC sent armed personnel to send us away from the hall. Congress has been holding here since 2006. Even when we came out under the tree, the same armed persons came to tell us we don’t have the right to stand under the tree, even as lecturers in the university that we should leave.
“You saw them. After the scuffle, they asked us to continue, but we were still surrounded with people holding guns pointing at us, even if it’s military barrack, it shouldn’t be. The university is the ground of freedom, because without freedom, there can be no knowledge.
“This is actually a Zonal solidarity visitation to ASUU COOU, because so much complaints have come to the zone as to the actions of the VC in suppressing the branch, “he said
Reacting, Public Relations Officer of COOU, Dr Chukwueloka Christian said the Vice Chancellor has neither knowledge of the presence of ASUU Owerri Zone executive in the institution, nor was he unleashing security men against them.
“The Vice Chancellor I know cannot do that because he is a gentle man and cannot work against Zonal ASUU, and moreover ASUU has secretariat in the school, they can as well hold their meeting there,” he said.
