ASUU accuses VCs, governments, others of hijacking various staff employment.
University staff union ASUU has accused political officeholders, traditional rulers, and vice chancellors of illegally seizing faculty and staff jobs.
Prof. Emmanuel Osaodeke, president of ASUU, brought up the issue yesterday during the Heroes’ Day Celebration of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He congratulated the Union for its determination to combat the anomaly and bring sanity back to the system.
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The staff strength of such institutions has tripled, with VCs employing all sorts of persons, from governors and senators to lecturers, as pointed out by Osodeke, even though no university in the country has advertised for vacancies in the past six to ten years.
“Before this, hiring at universities required posting ads and doing thorough interviews; however, how can individuals come here now?” the ASUU leader said. By means of short-term consultations.
That’s the issue we’re facing right now. While the number of faculty members has increased by a factor of three, I am unaware of any university that has advertised during the last six to ten years.
Venture capitalists in Nigeria essentially sat down and hired former traditional rulers, governors, and other politicians to teach at colleges; many of these individuals are now scavengers in the system, stealing money and other valuables.
We must fight to correct this misunderstanding and restore sanity to the system because, alas, university employment has become a constituency project.
“All the heroes honoured today for sacrifices made to the point of termination of appointments, seizure of salary, demotion, among other travails, for speaking truth to authorities for the benefit of others,” Prof. Osodeke praised, elaborating on the significance of UNIUYO Heroes’ Day.
Professor of ethnocommunications Desmond Wilson, in his keynote speech, bemoaned the role that fifth columnists—including individuals purportedly employed by the government to sow discord—have had in undermining the Union’s fight.
Wilson emphasised that bravery did not give people carte blanche to act badly and asked all ASUU members to stay dedicated to fighting for a better world and rescuing Nigerian varieties from their current predicament.
In a message conveyed through Professor Ben Etuk, the Vice Chancellor of UNIUYO, Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, commended ASUU for its work in improving the lives of university employees and urged the union to continue its good work.
As the ASUU at UNIUYO presented heroes’ medals to deserving former branch leaders, it also distributed over N1.7 million to fifteen financially disadvantaged students who had achieved academic excellence.
There will be a number of distinguished guests on the call, including Dr. Etop Ndiyo, Professor Desmond Wilson, Professor Edet Akpan, Professor Joseph Ushie, Professor Aniesua Essiet, and Professor Ashong Ashong.
The financial incentives were intended to motivate students who were deemed brilliant in their various faculties to successfully complete their courses of study, according to Professor Opeyemi Olajide, the acting chairperson of ASUU, UNIUYO.