Non-Teaching Staff, ASUU Clash Over Appointment Of V.C.

Some members of the non-teaching staff and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, in the East Local Government Area of Anambra State, are in disagreement over the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the University.

A new situation, however, developed as members of the Non-Teaching Staff Association of the institution took a swipe on the leader of the branch, Mr Emeka Nwabunnia, for announcing that the seat of the Vice chancellor was vacant when none existed.

In a press conference, the leader of the association, Mr Vincent Asoegwu, refered to a letter written by the branch ASUU leadership to the Governor of Anambra State while on his visit to the University for the appointment of the new Vice Chancellor.

He maintained that that ASUU was unnecessarily creating tension, as the Law that established the institution from the Anambra State University of Science and Technology over to the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, (COOU), was signed by the Governor on November 12, 2014.

Mr Asoegwu further stated that a retrospective commencement of the law affected every affair of the university, including that of the Vice Chancellor, whose tenure began from the date of the commencement of the law.

The Association appealed to the Governor during his visit to the institution to disregard the July 25 letter from the branch ASUU as well as any other petition, as it was a distraction to the proper administration of the University.

They also asked him to instruct the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University ASUU to maintain decorum in the conduct of their affairs and understand that vacancy could exist only in 2019 when the incumbent must have served his single non-renewable tenure of five years.