The faceoff between two factions of the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU), Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra State chapter has deepened.
A faction of the union under the aegis of the Progressives with Professor Osita Chiaghanam and Professor Kingsley Nwozor as Chairman and Public Relations Officer, respectively which is said to be loyal to the university Management Tuesday clashed with Professor Okechukwu Aniebo-led Reconciliatory group.
Prof Nwozor in a meeting held at Political Science Hall, Igbariam campus accused the other group of an attempt to lure members of the progressives to join a strike that would truncate the industrial harmony of the university. He alleged that the game plan was to erode all gains of the university’s academic calendar.
“The university community especially the academic staff in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) is hereby placed on red alert to beware of a sinister and wicked plot by enemies of peace and merchants of doom to invade the university and ply their trade of blackmail, distortion, disruption and destruction.
“The latest plot being bandied by the hatchet men of a ruinous dark past as ASUU-COOU RECONCILIATORY CONGRESS is nothing but a well-rehearsed gang up to recruit sympathisers to feather their self-warming nest of infamy.
“Sensing that their mission is dead-on-arrival as usual, the meddlesome interlopers have resorted to mudslinging, cheap blackmail and arm twisting just to make an in-road into the conscience of a few unsuspecting members of the university community, ” Prof. Nwozor said.
He noted that it made no sense to cite non-payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and pensions at a time the university was reaping the gains of having visionary management. He insisted that the leadership of the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Greg Nwakoby had courageously changed the university’s narratives for the better.
He said that the ruinous past which Prof Nwakoby had changed was characterised by low staff morale, aridity, disenchantment and traumatising impoverishment of staff and systems brought about by unbridled greed of power-hungry individuals that took the old university administration hostage.
“Truth be told, before the advent of Professor Greg Nwakoby as the Vice Chancellor of our great university, the university was borrowing money to pay salaries. Not only did he stop the borrowing culture, he cleared all the debts running close to a billion naira. As expected, the beneficiaries and commission-earners of the debt era went on a rampage but could not prevail, ” the Prof said.
However, trouble started on Tuesday when members of the progressives rose from their meeting at the Political Science Hall and moved to ASUU Secretariat reportedly on being informed that the other faction was simultaneously holding their meeting there.
“We heard that a group somewhere is using the name of our union to meet contrary to the approved venue which is the Political Science Hall. We don’t want things to go wrong to discredit ASUU.
“When we came here we found out that a parallel meeting was going on at our Secretariat in the name of the union. This Secretariat belongs to all of us. We decided to stay at our Secretariat to continue our meeting, ” Prof Nwozor explained.
Addressing reporters shortly after the crisis, Aniebo expressed disappointment over the incident, describing it as animalistic.
He accused the parallel faction of working for the Vice Chancellor, refuting that their meeting had nothing to do with the strike as alleged.
He said: “We convened the branch congress to reconcile ourselves and be one body following the misunderstanding we had during the past administration. Some left the union and as a result, it was difficult to demand our rights while divided.
“We’ve seen our members dying. No staff of the university, dead or retired has received one naira as pension benefits from the State government.
“Surprisingly, some persons from the management went to the internet to reject our peaceful move. But since the majority responded to the invitation and expressed their joy, we mobilized our members for the meeting.
“When they saw our publication, they scheduled their own meeting. But to avoid anybody claiming we wanted to disrupt their meeting, we decided to make use of our Secretariat, despite its limited space.
“But as cola nuts were being presented, the two Deputy VCs of the institution stormed our meeting with armed anti-cult security men. It’s so disappointing that the DVC brought his office so low to snatch my chair and table from me.
“One of the security officers held one of us on the shirt and dragged his phone from him. We simply showed them maturity because we can’t operate at their levels.
“I’ve not seen anywhere in the world a DVC is a leader of a trade union. Its absurdity. Just because they want to impress their paymaster. What manifested today is animalistic behaviour.”
Reacting, Progressives chairman, Prof. Chiaghanam accused the parallel group of plans to join in the looming ASUU strike, describing them as trouble makers with the aim of blackmailing the management and truncating the smooth running of the university.
He said: “All the lecturers resolved not to join any industrial action, whether local or national because we don’t have any issue with the university management. We’re not being owed. We’re still discussing with the management any other grey area, including pension.
“We also resolved to continue to deliver our mandate so as not to miss any academic calendar. It’s unfortunate that just about 10 of them decide to foment trouble and blackmail the university management with the aim of truncating the smooth running of the university.
“But we say we can’t fold our arms and watch the university being dragged to the mud by few individuals. If they have any grouse they should feel free to approach the VC who has a listening ear.”
Other lecturers among the progressives who wished the VC well and called for absolute peace in the university include Prof. Angela Nwanmuo, HOD, Mass Communication; Associate Prof. Chinedu Igboeli and Dr Gideon Nwafor, all from the Mass Communication Department.
Source: The Sun
