Only Obiano can decide on Ojukwu varsity VC’s tenure— Non-Teaching staff

Awka—AS controversy rages over the tenure of the Vice Chancellor of the Anambra State –owned Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, COOU, the non-teaching staff in the institution have said that only the visitor to the university, Governor Willie Obiano could

take a decision on the matter.

Representatives of three unions in the university namely, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT and Non Academic Staff Union, NASU, at a news conference at Igbariam campus of the University, urged Governor Obiano to ignore ASUU.The tenure of the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Professor Fidelis Okafor is expected to end in September this year and apparently to pre-empt Governor Obiano, the university’s branch of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, recently reminded the governor that the office of the Vice Chancellor had become vacant, asking him to appoint another person to replace Okafor.

The unions said: “The letter from ASUU branch of our university addressed to the governor showed that the union is ignorant. It shows that ASUU does not know the contents of our university law, which took effect from 11th  September, 2014.

“Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University law, Ref: ANHA/LAW.2014.12, which our governor signed on the 12th  of November, 2014, took a retrospective effect from 11th  September, 2014. The Anambra State University of Science and Technology Law 2000 (which later became Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Univerity) had been repelled and so, the law governing this university took effect from September, 2014.

“What this means is that the tenure of Professor Okafor as the vice chancellor of COOU took effect from 11th  September, 2014 and will end on 11th  September, 2019.”

According to the unions, the ASUU leadership had continuously been taking actions that were inimical to the growth of the university, warning that there must be an end to such rascality.

Former chairman of SSANU in the university, Mr. Vincent Asoegwu, who spoke on behalf of the unions, regretted that ASUU was always behaving as if it was the only stakeholder in the university, adding that it often acted unilaterally on matters affecting the entire university community.

The unions called on Governor Obiano to disregard the ASUU letter on the issue as it was intended to distract him in understanding his onerous task of administering the state and the university.

Meanwhile, the Alumni Association of the university has called on Governor Willie Obiano and the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Anali Chude to wade into the matter in the interest of peace and harmony in the institution.
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National President of the association, Mr Emeka Amanchukwu said the alumni would not take sides on the matter, advising that the rule of law should guide government in taking a decision.

He said: “The governor should wade into the crisis after due consultation with his Attorney-General, who is the number one legal officer of the state to save everybody the embarrassment.”