The Ebonyi State Government on Thursday announced the proscription of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and other labour unions at the Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
The only body currently allowed to exist in the university is the Students’ Union Government.
According to a report from Punch, while making the disclosure during a meeting with the leadership of the unions, Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, said this was to ensure that their activities do not have any negative impact on the resumption of activities in the university.
The Ebonyi State Governor said, “The decision was taken in order to ensure that academic and non-academic unions’ activities do not negatively affect the resumption of Ebonyi State University and commencement of academic/ non-academic activities in the state-owned university.”
This decision by the Ebonyi State Government is coming at a time when ASUU has been in dispute with the Federal Government over the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and have been on strike for over 7 months.
Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Onyebuchi Chima, revealed that approval had been given for the release of N500m for the payment of staff salaries.
He added that the institution was also granted a loan of N300m for the setting up of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) to help boost its Internally Generated Revenue, while the state’s mushroom and the citrus farms were also donated to the school.
He disclosed that the governor has approved the implementation of school fees by students in order to help cushion the effects of hardship their parents are currently facing.
Chima said, “All teaching and non-teaching staff members are encouraged to resume normal university activities immediately. All teaching and non-teaching staff shall be paid 80 per cent of their monthly outstanding salaries except those who refused to immediately commence work. Accordingly, EBSU management and SUG are encouraged to keep records of staff that resume for work. In order to ameliorate the hardship of parents/students in the payment of school fees, the Visitor of EBSU/Governor of Ebonyi State University, Dr David Nweze Umahi has approved that EBSU University Management should implement ‘staggered school payment’ system.”
David Umahi still believes Nigeria is in the military era where stupid proscriptions are made with fiat. He is the type of old animals as politicians that should be chased away to give room to these oppressed and marginalized youths who are protesting to take their destinies in their hands. He executes contracts in his state using his cronies and relatives only.Time shall tell.