The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Owerri zone, has demanded the immediate resignation of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Prof. Nnenna Oti.
The Zonal Coordinator, Dennis Aribodor, who stated this in Awka, Anambra State capital on Friday., accused the VC of corruption and anti-union activities.
The zone is made up of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State University, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umuahia and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Aribodor, accompanied by other union members, said the CV has ordered the sealing of their Secretariat in FUTO, just as they accused her of causing division among ASUU members in the institution, after her resignation as a member of the union.
He said, “The attention of the ASUU, Owerri Zone has been drawn to the consistent and concerted efforts of the administration of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, to ridicule the leadership of ASUU and cause disaffection within the ASUU FUTO branch of the Union.
“On June 22, 2023, the Vice Chancellor of FUTO, Prof. Nnenna Oti, purportedly resigned her membership of ASUU of the university using the official letterhead of the office of the Vice Chancellor.
“Oti ought to have known that labour laws do not permit an employer to belong to a union of employees. Consequently, as Vice Chancellor of FUTO, she is not a member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
“If she desires to resign her membership of the Union, she should resign in her individual capacity following the extant provisions of the Constitution of the Academic Staff Union of Universities as stipulated in Article 3 Section ( vii).
“Sequel to the purported resignation, the unfortunate events began to unfold on July 3, 2023 with purported Congress meeting in which a group of ASUU-FUTO members, acting out an already prepared script, purportedly suspended all the former executives of ASUU in FUTO and replaced them with new ones in acting capacity.
“This was immediately followed by the sealing of the ASUU-FUTO Secretariat by the chief security officer of the university. The ASUU Owerri Zone hopes that these misguided members understand that the former Executive Committee of the ASUU-FUTO is the one that was led by Dr Christopher Echereobia, who is alleged to be the brain behind the efforts to decimate the union in FUTO.
“Again, on July 4, 2023, one Mr C.C Onwuachu, the acting Secretary of the misguided members, wrote to the Secretary of ASUU-FUTO, demanding a handover of all ASUU property to him. As we speak, the Secretariat of ASUU-FUTO is still under lock and key, in spite of the appeal made to the Vice Chancellor by the leadership of ASUU.”
The union also stated that the legitimate leadership of ASUU FUTO is the executive committee led by Comrade Chinedu Ihejirika, adding that any other group that claims leadership of the union at FUTO is but a group of imposters.
“On July 13, 2023, a letter from the registrar of the university, Chiedozie Uba, directed all chairmen and executive committee members of staff of the union in the university to obtain approval before embarking on any trip outside the university.
“This directive, targeted at the leadership of the staff unions, is discriminatory and obnoxious. It is discriminatory in the sense that any staff of FUTO other than the Chairman and Executive members of the Staff Union is at liberty to embark on any trip outside the university without approval. Where then is the sense of justice, equity, fair play, and good conscience on the part of the Administration of FUTO?,” the group added.
