Following last week announcement of the Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, that all trade unions in the state-owned University have been prescribed, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ebonyi State chapter, Ikechukwu Igwenyi (Dr), has called on the state government to prioritize university education in the state.
Igwenyi made this known in a statement issued in reaction to the last week’s proscription of ASUU in Ebonyi state university by the governor of the state, David Umahi.
He said labour matters are on the exclusive list of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is impossible for any Governor to proscribe a national union duly registered and given a charter to operate.
“We are just a branch of ASUU and the national body of the Union is very much aware of the situation in Ebonyi, “he explained.
The Chairman, who is an associate professor and also the Head of Department of Biochemistry, Ebonyi State University, said the staff of the institution were being owed four months salary as at the time of this report.
He urged the people in government not to collapse public educational institutions simply because their children are not there.
“Most public office holders are not interested in our public schools and they do not invest in the institution because all their children are studying overseas,” he explained.
He called on the staff of the university to remain resolute until the government meets up their demands. He, therefore, urged the students who are losing their patience to remain calm until victory is achieved.
The only body currently allowed by the Governor to exist is the students union government.
It would be recalled that Umahi, who met last week with the leadership of the unions, had said: “The decision was taken in order to ensure that academic and non–academic unions activities do not negatively affect the resumption of academic and non-academic activities in the state-owned University.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Education, Onyebuchi Chima, said approval had been made for the release of N500 million for the payment of staff salaries.
