College faults COEASU over dismissal of staff
The Abia State College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu (ASCETA) has faulted the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) of Nigeria over dismissal of one of its members, Kelvin Egesi.
ASCETA demanded that COEASU should get Egesi, who was a former leader and staff of ASCETA, a new job.
Registrar of ASCETA, Ikechukwu Odemenam, who in a statement, said that Egesi was employed “as a staff and not as a unionist”, faulted the purported directive by COEASU to the Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to call the ASCETA Provost, Dr. Phillips Nto, to order over the dismissal of Egesi, who was leader of the college academic staff union.
The Registrar stated that the COEASU directive to governor Ikpeazu, which he stated was signed by its General Secretary, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, insinuated that the governor erred in appointing Nto as ASCETA provost, alleging that he was not qualified.
He described the insinuation as derogatory, provocative and confrontational, amounting to political blackmail, hence that it would not be left unchallenged, saying, “since Kelvin Egesi has been sacked, COEASU should find him a job because we employed him as a staff and not as a unionist.”
The Registrar noted that governor Ikpeazu, as a former university lecturer, knew that Nto acquired his doctorate degree since 2010 and had lectured for more than 17 years at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and was thus, eminently qualified to be appointed the provost.
“It is just blatant ignorance and mischief that blinded COEASU to appreciate the fact that the college has the power to hire and fire, therefore, owes no union any explanation in the management of its affairs,” he said.
The registrar consequently, warned ASCETA staff against combining their the work for which they were employed and conniving with those he described as politicians to destabilise the state government.
SOURCE: GUARDIAN
